Exploring Jeddah Saudi Arabia

Planning a trip to the Middle East or GCC area? If you’re in the area, we recommend a stop in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Located on the coast of the Red Sea, the weather doesn’t have major fluctuations year round which makes it a pleasant place to visit. With a population of 4 million, it is big enough with a lot to see and do but small enough that it’s a manageable size. We’d recommend just a day or two to see the main highlights. If you are really into snorkeling or scuba diving, spend an extra day here so you can do a half day or full day trip on the water.

Climate in Jeddah

Did you know that Jeddah is on the Red Sea? This makes the climate generally warm to hot all year long. The coolest temperatures are in January which range from 20-29 C / 68-84 F and the hottest temperatures are in July at 26-39 C / 79-102 F. The area gets almost no rainfall, but there are a considerable amount of green plants and large trees that grow well in these conditions. 

Where to Stay in Jeddah

If you are coming for a concert, sporting event, or entertainment, stay near your venue. The farther north on the Corniche you go, the more isolated it is. There are some great hotels located throughout the city. Since there isn’t really a central downtown and the main attractions are scattered throughout the city, you’ll have to take taxis between spots anyways so pick the style of hotel you prefer. Airbnb does operate here so you can also get some nice apartments. 

One thing to note is that the Al Hamra neighborhood that has the Intercontinental and Ritz Carlton seems to have had its heyday in the 1980’s. While these two nice hotels still remain, the apartments in this area are much older, it’s undergoing a lot of road construction, and a lot of shops and restaurants are closed in the area. I wouldn’t recommend staying here. 

Jeddah Airport

Jeddah International Airport currently has two terminals. The North Terminal which is used for budget airlines and Terminal 1 which is used for international carriers. Terminal 1 is brand new and beautiful. It has a wide variety of restaurants and duty free shopping. It’s clean, modern, and really nice. The North Terminal is much older and has limited services. It feels much more chaotic. While there may be a bus shuttle that takes you between terminals, it costs 20-30 riyal and it takes about 30 minutes. Be aware especially if you need to transfer for a flight or rent a car as all car rentals are in Terminal 1. 

A gang of taxi drivers will try to offer rides once you step out of baggage claim. Most are going to quote you much higher prices so be prepared to negotiate down. We had the Careem app open and used that quoted price. No one would offer a ride at that price so we ended up taking a Careem. The good thing is that Jeddah allows ride sharing to pick up at the airport. There is a small designated spot between the entrance and the parking lot where you can meet your ride sharing driver. 

Transportation in Jeddah

If you’ve read our other articles, you know we love walking (see our DIY walking tours of Dubai and Doha). You are able to walk most of Jeddah due to the fabulously designed road systems, sidewalks, and Corniche area on the coast. However, one of the hardest parts for us is how spread out everything is. We walked 27 km in one day and still needed to call a taxi to get us back to the hotel. So we definitely recommend planning into your itinerary to take taxis. We use the ride hailing app called Careem. While there is a bus system, unfortunately for us, it didn’t go near the locations we were going. However, as the city continues to grow and expand, check out the public transportation to see if it’s going where you need! 

Speaking of growth, wow! The city is on a building spree. Everywhere you go there are new construction projects with beautiful hotels, residential, and shopping on the way. Give the city a few years to have it all finished and it will blow you away. 

Jeddah Corniche 

One recently completed project, the Corniche, has done a wonderful job showing off one of Jeddah’s main features, the Red Sea. The water here on the coast is crystal clear with shades of gorgeous turquoise blue. It reminded us a lot of the Mediterranean Sea in Antalya and the Black Sea in Sile, Turkey. To show off one of its main features, Jeddah has built up a fabulous Corniche walkway spanning most of the coastline. It’s over 10km long if you walk the whole thing! Walking along the winding path that hugs the coast line, you’ll find small snack shops, ice cream stalls, and coffee shops. They have done such a great job of manicuring the landscaping, having spots to rest like benches and tables, and of course providing trees and shaded spots where families and friends can picnic at the sea side. 

So what are the best parts to see of this Corniche? We’ll give our recommendations starting on the north side. I actually do recommend the Jeddah Yacht Club & Marina. This adorable cove not only has yachts to look at if you’re into that, but it also has cute shops and restaurants with great outdoor seating lining the marina. This is also the only place we saw a lion fish. Funny story, we were talking with a local who told us they actually call them chicken fish! The fish come to the marina from the coral reefs in the Red Sea. See more on snorkeling and scuba below. 

Walking south on the corniche, you see Al Rahmah Mosque. Also known as the floating mosque as it appears to be floating on the water at high tide. It’s really pretty and a great place to catch the sunset. This section has free bathrooms and a few restaurants selling food. While the restaurants don’t have seating here, there is ample seating on the Corniche facing the sea. 

If you turn and look inland, you can’t miss the Formula 1 Race Track. This track goes throughout the north side of the Corniche. It’s usually closed off by fencing and you’ll know when a race is in town as it gets super busy up here. 

Further south, in front of the Shangri-La Jeddah hotel, there is a big project going on to construct a mall around the lagoon. If the pictures come to fruition, this has the potential to be amazing. Give it a few years to finish construction and fill out. 

The Jeddah Waterfront Harbor is where most of the fishing happens. Many kids and adults are out here with their long poles trying to catch fish. It’s a great place to sit and watch the waves, people watch, and of course see many schools of fish. Here you will find more small snack shops and convenience stores, less full restaurants. The bathrooms in this area require a prepaid card that you can tap and use the bathroom.  

Directly across the street from The Waldorf Astoria Jeddah is the only public swimming beach we found. It’s a protected cove so less waves. It looks so delightful to play in the sand and beautiful water. You can rent chairs and umbrellas or full cabanas here. 

One fun feature near the southern part of the Corniche is that between the north and south lanes of Al Kurnaysh Br Rd. is a beautiful, large and well decorated bike path. They’ve painted a large colorful mural in the middle which makes for a fun stroll. There are a few locations where you can rent bicycles or scooters. 

Finally, on the southern end is the Fakieh Aquarium. If you want to see the fish up close, check out the aquarium for a fun view as you walk under the fish and turtles swimming in the tunnel. Also with a large fish tank containing a variety of shark species, educational information to learn about the Red Sea, and stunning views, this place has something for everyone! 

Old Jeddah, Al Balad

We’ve been to many an old town in other cities but none have ever been this large! It’s unclear when Old Jeddah was founded but in the 7th century it became a major trading port due to its location on the Red Sea. The history here is deep. The winding streets and old buildings are so intricate and maze-like. In 2019, the ruling family declared a multi-billion dollar renovation project to the area. You can see many fences blocking off historic buildings as they are working to restore them. But don’t let that deter you as there is still much to see and explore here. 

They are keeping the charm of the local life as they are highlighting the Rawashin style which is the intricate woodwork on the buildings windows and doors. It’s really beautiful. Also they’ve strung gorgeous big white bulbs across the walkways and removed lamp posts which give it such a nice charm at night. 

Speaking of, this area is best explored at night. During the day, the only shops open are tailors, shoes stores, or shops aimed for locals. But after 5pm, the place gets life. Full of excitement, families taking a stroll, stopping for coffee at the outdoor cafes. It’s much more charming at night to explore. You can walk almost all of it in just a few hours so we’d recommend just one night to see it all. Bonus points if you can find the soccer field sandwiched between all the markets. 

I also wouldn’t recommend staying in the area, yet. It seems like the only hotels or Airbnbs in the area are older and more run down. They are building what could be hotels in the future which would be charming to be in the area but right now, it seems like staying somewhere else and just taking a taxi down here might be the best idea. 

In terms of restaurants in Al Balad, there are two we definitely recommend. First is Granny’s Cuisine. It’s kind of an odd little restaurant but they serve traditional food at a really decent price. We had the Zurbian rice with chicken and the green salad. It was enough for two people! They literally cook everything fresh so we had 45 minutes to walk around and come back and the food was ready. The second place is fish. We originally wanted to go to Albasali Seafood Restaurant based on a review from this YouTube Video but it was a 2 hour wait! So we found  Ba’eshen Seafood and we were so glad we ate here instead. The prices for the same fish were 25% cheaper and the atmosphere eating at the outdoor tables just made for a fun night. Definitely recommend you try the Najil fish. The only way they serve it is fried but it’s insanely delicious, crunchy on the outside and soft, tender, and juice on the inside. Try the sayadiyya rice for great flavor as well. 

If you do happen to be in the area during the day, there is an absolutely stunning and beautifully manicured park on the east shores of Lake Arbaeen. Start at the sculptures in Lake Al-Arbaeen Park and walk north past the Jaffali Mosque to the stairs and back gardens of teamLab Borderless Jeddah. The path continues in a full circle around the lake if you want to continue. 

If you are looking for a fun local experience, check out the Central Fish Market to walk through stalls and stalls of vendors selling brightly colored fish. We found it interesting to see different fish than we’re used to as they catch them out of the Red Sea. 

Jeddah Art/Museums 

We found three really cool art/museums in the area that are worth checking out. 

1. Hayy Jameel (حيّ جميل) – this new compound houses some amazing displays of art. It’s free to visit so we recommend a stop. With three halls that rotate different displays whether curated by the Hayy Jameel team or in collaboration with other museums, it’s high quality and really well done. There is a cute store, a delicious restaurant, a cinema, and a courtyard space that hosts performances. We definitely recommend a stop! 
2. Al Taybat International City Museum of Science and Information – with so many displays of culture and history, it spans three floors which means you have a lot to explore and learn. There is a 40 SAR entry fee and you’ll need a few hours to see it all. There are many exhibits arranged in themes that capture the diverse ethnic cultures of the Middle East from stone age archaeology to current times.
3. teamLab Borderless Jeddah is a modern art museum and interactive sensory experience with lights, mirrors, and glow in the dark rooms. You feel surrounded by art in very cool ways and of course it’s so picturesque! here is a 50 SAR entry fee and you can book online to make sure they have availability for the day and time you want to go. 

Malls in Jeddah

Jeddah has also invested heavily in their shopping districts. With brands from all over the world, you can easily find anything you’re looking for. There is a wide variety of shopping from basics to luxury. 

• Al Khayyat Center is high end everything. Think Prada, Gucci and Jimmy Cho. The unique thing about this center is that the middle is open and shaded. A lovely breeze sweeps through as you window shop in the most pleasant temperatures. 

• Stars Avenue is notable for two reasons. One they have a number of local brands and two they have the AMC theater. It’s a big deal as there were no cinemas in Saudi Arabia from 1983 to 2018. 

• Red Sea Mall is your everyday type of mall. It has normal priced stores with everything from Nike and Adidas to Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn. With tons of restaurants and even the luxurious JOUDYAN hotel, you could literally shop til you drop and spend the night! 

• Cenomi Mall of Arabia, located close to the airport, is notable for its elegant design and space interior. Housing brands from all over the world, you’re sure to find anything you’re looking for. Also with tons of food options, you can spend hours here.

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling

The Red Sea has some of the worlds best snorkeling and scuba diving. Jeddah is a great place to check it out as it’s a close drive. You can hire a company and do a quick half day or full day trip on the water. Side note: snorkeling and scuba in the Red Sea is also available on the Egyptian side in Sharm el-Sheikh and Dahab’s world-famous Blue Hole.

Overall, Jeddah is a very nice city to visit. It didn’t blow us away but we enjoyed ourselves. I think we’ll have to come back in a few years once all their projects are done as it’ll be a modern marvel of a city then. But if you have a day or two, it’s a nice place to visit now. Don’t expect the record breaking thrills of Dubai, but enjoy experiencing the culture of Saudi Arabia in its second largest city!