JEDDAH

Jeddah

A Saudi Arabian port city on the Red Sea, is a modern commercial hub and gateway for pilgrimages to the Islamic holy cities Mecca and Medina. Resort hotels, beaches and outdoor sculptures line the Corniche, a seafront promenade anchored by the iconic King Fahd’s Fountain.

Jeddah Ghair

In Arabic, the city’s motto is “Jeddah Ghair”, which translates to “Jeddah is different”. The motto has been widely used among both locals as well as foreign visitors. The city had been previously perceived as the “most open” city in Saudi Arabia.

Down Town (Al Balad)

The city’s center or as pronounced in Arabic “Al-Balad” is a historic district dates to the 7th century and retains traditional homes built from coral stone and a natural harbor.

Al-Balad’s defensive walls were torn down in the 1940s. In the 1970s and 1980s, when Jeddah began to become wealthier due to the oil boom, many Jeddah residents or as pronounced in Arabic “Jiddawis” moved north, away from Al-Balad, as it reminded them of less prosperous times. Al-Balad had insufficient parking space for large cars. Its stores did not sell expensive designer clothing. Poor immigrants moved in place of the Saudi population. The municipality of Jeddah began historical preservation efforts in the 1970s. In 1991 the Municipality of Jeddah founded the Jeddah Historical Preservation Society to preserve the historical architecture and culture of Al-Balad. In 2002, US$4 million were earmarked for the preservation society.

In 2009, Al-Balad was nominated by Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities to be added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list, and it was accepted in 2014.

Corniche – Seafront Promenade

The Jeddah Corniche is the 30 km coastal resort area of the city of Jeddah. Located along the Red Sea, the corniche features a coastal road, recreation areas, pavilions and large-scale civic sculptures — as well as King Fahd’s Fountain, the highest fountain in the world.

King Fahad Fountain:

A realy beautiful site, The fountain was donated to the city of Jeddah by King Fahd, hence its name. It was constructed between 1980 and 1983 and was launched in 1985.

Located on the corniche of Jeddah on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, the fountain jets water to an average maximum height of 312 m (1,024 ft) depending on wind conditions and is visible throughout the vicinity of Jeddah. (Photo By: Robin Chrystie)

Theme Parks and Attractions:

Information

Area: 1,600 km²

Weather: 25°C, Wind N at 5 km/h, 67% Humidity

Local time: Thursday 12:24 AM

Area code(s): +966-12

Population: 3.431 million (2010) United Nations

Postal Code: 5 digit codes beginning with 21 (e.g. 21577)