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Jeddah
Second-largest city in Saudi Arabia

Jeddah

Jeddah is the largest city in Mecca Province, the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh, and the country’s main commercial center.

Plan a trip to Jeddah→From Taif

It is in the Hejaz region on the Red Sea coast. The city’s metropolitan area is coterminous with Jeddah Governorate. Its prominence grew in 647 CE when the Caliph Uthman of the Rashidun Caliphate designated it as the main port serving travelers to Mecca.

Get in

Getting to Jeddah

  1. 01
    King Abdulaziz International Airport

    The largest airport in the Kingdom and served by airlines from around the world.

  2. 02
    SAPTCO

    Jeddah is one of the major ports along the Red Sea and cargo ships arrive here from all over the world with plenty of choices for travellers, too.

  3. 03
    Jeddah
See

Worth seeing

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.

  1. 01
    Souq

    At the heart of the old city, coral houses line both sides of this busy market street.

  2. 02
    Naseef House

    The former house of one of Jeddah's main trading families is being renovated as a museum and cultural center.

  3. 03
    Jeddah Regional Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography

    Located in the Khuzam Palace, built in 1928.

  4. 04
    Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum
  5. 05
    House of Islamic Arts

    Small but high quality Islamic art museum with a good audio guide.

  6. 06
    King Fahd's Fountain

    With a maximum height between 260 and 312 m, this fountain in the Red Sea is the tallest in the world.

Do

Things to do

  1. 01
    King Abdullah Sports City
  2. 02
    Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City

    This no longer has a resident soccer club.

  3. 03
    Al-Shalal Theme Park
  4. 04
    La Plage

    Obhur Al-Shamaliyah,.

Eat

Where to eat

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.

  1. 01
    Byblos Xpress

    Lebanese quick-service restaurant.

  2. 02
    Khayal

    One of the best Turkish restaurants in Jeddah.

  3. 03
    Aromi Restaurant

    Qasr al Sharq.

  4. 04
    Mataam Al Sharq
  5. 05
    Al Safina Restaurant
How locals move

Getting around Jeddah the local way

  • Get inAl-Blagha is one of the largest shipping companies and operates several ferry routes, most notable a once-weekly service from Port Suez taking 42 hours (1st/2nd/3rd class SR845/695/395, car from SR850).
  • Get inA more irregular ferry service is available from Al Hudayda in Yemen.
  • Get inFerries fill up quick during high season, meaning Hajj and Ramadan, so book early.

From Wikivoyage: Jeddah, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Saudipics (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.