Jeddah (Arabic: جدّة, also spelled Jiddah) is on the Red Sea in western Saudi Arabia. It is the kingdom's second largest city, with a population of approximately 3,400,000, and a major commercial center in the country. Jeddah is also the main entry point, either by air or sea, for pilgrims making the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, the two most sacred cities of Islam.
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Jeddah has been a port and trading city for centuries, which is reflected in its cosmopolitan mix of inhabitants. Today, it is a major commercial center in Saudi Arabia. It also has many government offices. Jeddah is known in the kingdom for its shopping districts, restaurants and cafes. It also hosts the Jeddah Corniche (waterfront area), which is the largest in the Kingdom with a great bunch of hotels, beaches and resorts clustered around it. To the north of the city, a string of beach resort compounds are off-limits to the mutawwa (religious police) and are known as party spots where many of the social mores of the rest of the country are flouted, especially by rich, liberal families from…
Like the other big Saudi cities, regular green taxis and Ubers are plentiful. Many rental agencies like Avis or Budget will rent you a 2008 mid-size car for the price of SR100-140 per day. You'll also find a bargain when it comes to fuel, as Saudi Arabia has some of the cheapest petrol prices in the world. The streets are wide and signs are written in both Arabic and English. Look for maps in the libraries or big supermarkets. Buses are fairly common and are timetabled on Google Maps. Boats are not particularly a means of transportation, but rather a way to enjoy the views of the Red Sea.
Jeddah's top sight is al-Balad, or the old town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city wall has long since been torn down, but the old gates still mark where it once stood. Within you'll find a warren of ancient buildings and traditional souqs (markets), and the teetering, multi-story coral houses that Jeddah is famous for. Unfortunately, coral is not a very durable building material, and most of the buildings are in disrepair. As part of Vision 2030, significant investment is being put into rebuilding old Jeddah and you can see building everywhere, as of January 2026. Spend hours wandering around the old city and get lost in the seemingly endless souks.
1 Grand Prix or Formula One and other motor races are hosted at the Ash Shati track, north of the city near the airport. The next F1 is 17-19 April 2026; at 6175 m it's the longest street race in the calendar. 2 King Abdullah Sports City (مدينة الملك عبدالله الرياضية) (5 km north of airport). The main stadium, capacity 62,240, is mainly used for soccer. It's the home ground of Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad, both playing in Pro League the top tier. In 2027 it hosts matches in the AFC Asian Cup Finals. (updated Feb 2024) 3 Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City (مدينة الأمير عبدالله الفيصل الرياضية). This no longer has a resident soccer club.
Jeddah is full of restaurants with almost every cuisine imaginable and eating out is part of the city's culture. Some of the restaurants have separate sections for single men and for families. Dating is theoretically forbidden but widely practiced, and most restaurants will allow a couple into the family section without question. All businesses close for prayer for about half an hour at noon and at sunset. They close again an hour after sunset for about 45 minutes. If you like to eat early, you can often stay in a restaurant during prayer time.
Like all Saudi Arabian cities, you aren't going to find much nightlife revolving around alcohol in Jeddah, as the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol are illegal throughout the kingdom. What you should be able to find are shisha cafes and a large variety of coffee shops such as: 1 Barncafe, 2 Javana Lounge, Starbucks and Costa Coffee. Non-alcoholic beer is available in restaurants as are non-alcoholic cocktails and other drinks. Alcoholic drinks are usually served in private compounds and beaches for Westerners, where Saudis are usually not allowed in.
While Jeddah is not as conservative as Riyadh, it is recommended that you follow the various safety tips in Saudi Arabia article to stay out of trouble. Perhaps the biggest danger you'll face is the extreme, scorching heat. Temperatures can reach as high as 52 °C (126 °F) in the summers. Be sure to hydrate often and wear appropriate clothing to deal with the heat. Floods are not unusual in Jeddah, and they can be both violent and destructive, mainly because the city lacks the necessary infrastructure to protect itself against floods. Refer to the various tips in the Flash floods article if the city experiences flooding.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Jeddah typically sees ~38°C daytime highs and 0 rainy days.
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