The Gateway to Makkah
Jeddah is the commercial capital of Saudi Arabia, the largest country and the biggest market among the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) states.
Situated on the western coast of Saudi Arabia, where the climate is moderated by the Red Sea, Jeddah is located at the
heart of the region, positioning the city as the main center of commerce in the Middle East and North Africa with all of
MENA's capitals within two hours flying distance.
Historically the city owes its origins to a navigable gap in the Red Sea reef that enabled pilgrims to arrive by sea
en route to Makkah which is located only 70 kilometers inland from Jeddah. The landing place grew into a trading post
for rices and spices, cottons and silks, perfumes and precious metals. In the ancient centre of Jeddah the old coral
stone houses once occupied by the great merchant families can still be seen, built high to catch the cooling sea
breezes through their wood trellised window screens.
Today, Jeddah is a modern city of more that two million people, swelling by another million during Hajj, the time
of the annual pilgrimage to Makkah. Stretching along the shores of the Red Sea with a palm fringed corniche road
bordered by villas, palaces, hotels and beach resorts, and developing inland towards the mountains that form a
backdrop to the city, Jeddah is a wealthy, thriving cosmopolitan city with every luxury and world class facilities.
History
It was not until the twenty-sixth year of Islam (646 AD) that Jeddah became the main port of entry for pilgrims
arriving by sea to visit Makkah only seventy kilometers inland. Prior to that time, the landing place for Makkah
was at Shuaiba at the south of the bay. Seeking a safe harbour from pirates, the Caliph Othman dropped anchor at
Jeddah and, finding it to his liking, established the port as the gateway to Makkah, which it has continued to be
up to the present day when more than a million pilgrims a year arrive at Jeddah's seaport and airport from all
over the Islamic world.
A Prospering Port
Boosted by the continuous arrival of pilgrims, some of whom settled and established businesses in the city,
Jeddah continued to prosper. In the year 1050, Jeddah was visited by the Persian poet, Naser Khusrow, who described
it as "a great city surrounded by a strong wall with a population of some five thousand males". However, during the
fifteenth century, Jeddah's prosperity was challenged when Vasco da Gama circumnavigated Africa and opened up a
route for the Portuguese to exploit the fabulous prospects of trade with the East. Threatened by the emerging
sea powers of Europe, Hussein Al-Kurdi, a self-proclaimed Governor of Jeddah, rebuilt the city walls, which
withstood an attack and blockade by the Portuguese. Jeddah remained independent during the rest of the century,
but early in the sixteenth century the city fell to the Turks and became part of the Ottoman Empire.
European Influence
During the next two centuries trade throughout the east was monopolized by the Portuguese, Dutch and English,
and Jeddah's position as a major commercial centre declined into that of a mere transit port for a small amount
of trade between Egypt and India. Although the city derived some income as the point of entry for pilgrims
journeying to Makkah, there was a lull in its prosperous days and the city and its surrounding walls fell
into a state of disrepair.
Early in the in the nineteenth century Turkish rule was displaced by the Al Saud, attacking southwards from
their stronghold in the central region of Arabia, only to be followed by Egyptian conquest, but by 1840
the Turks were back in power in alliance with the Sherif of Makkah. Fortunes revived as trade with India
increased and the empire-building nations of Europe established consulates in Jeddah to facilitate commerce
and assist traders and travelers during their stays in the city.
By the mid-nineteenth century western imperial authority over countries with large Muslim populations created
resentment throughout the Islamic world.
A City Built of Coral Stone
Jeddah's first real trade boom began in 1869 with the opening of the Suez Canal. Trade boomed and by the end
of the century commercial links had been established with other ports in the Arab world, Egypt, Africa, India,
and European ports including Liverpool and Marseilles. Many of these links exist to this day and are the foundations
of immense family fortunes.
It was during this time that the prosperous merchants, built their great family houses using blocks of coral
stone from the quarries north of the city walls, held together by mortar made from date pulp. Towering high to
catch the cooling sea breezes through the lattice-work screens that shield the windows and balconies, the finest
of these houses can still be seen in the old town centre, which remains at the heart of modern Jeddah, preserved
and under restoration by government order. Look carefully and you will see coral rocks with fossilized shells and
other sea creatures embedded in the walls of several of these buildings. Also, note the intricately carved wooden
doors and window screens that are the most charming feature of these houses, and know that the finest of these were
fashioned from Javanese and Indian teak by lascar sailors during the time their merchant ships were idle in port.
Notable among the old merchant family houses are Beit Noorwali (House of the Noorwali family) famed for its
beautiful top floor bathroom, exquisitely painted and lit by glass roundels set in its high pointed domed roof,
Beit Banaja with its pair of finely carved wooden entrance doors, and most celebrated of all, the fifty-room
Beit Nassif. Located at the beginning of Al Alawi Street, a colourful quarter of old Jeddah lined with shops
selling herbs, spices and perfumes, Beit Al Nassif is where King Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud stayed
during his early visits to the city.
Beit Nassif used to be known as The House with the Tree because, until the 1920s, the tree in front of the
house was the only one in the whole of Jeddah, and at a certain time of the year its branches were black with
migrating birds resting on their journey south. The tree is still there, but now one among many as an abundant
water supply from the desalination plant has enabled Jeddah to become a green city with date and coconut palms,
African flame trees, jacarandas, oleanders, jasmine, hibiscus and bougainvillea.
When Water Was More Precious Than Oil
Ever since its origins, a lack of water was the main problem for the inhabitants of Jeddah. As early as one thousand
five hundred years ago, while the city was under the domination of Persian rulers, more than three hundred wells and
cisterns were dug to provide a water supply for the growing population. Most of these sources eventually dried up and
in 1761 a Danish visitor Carsten Niebuhr, reported that "the city is entirely destitute of water and the inhabitants
have to rely on what is collected in reservoirs among the hills and carried in by camels."
Early in the twentieth century Jeddah made its first attempt at producing its own sweet water supply by installing
a seawater distillation condenser. The experiment was not a success for the kindasah, as the residents pronounced
condenser, produced very little water but made a great deal of noise. "Save us from the clamour of the kindasah"
recited the poet Mohammed Said Otaibi at the dedication ceremony.
In contrast to the few gallons of drinkable water produced each day by the kindasah, supplies improved dramatically
immediately following the Second World War when income from oil exports funded the pumping of three million gallons of
water a day from the wells in Wadi Fatima fifty miles away to the south. But as the oil wealth flowed in, so did more
and more people and water became more precious than oil. The situation was finally solved in the late 1970s by the
installation of four modern desalination plants on a coastal lagoon in the north of Jeddah. This huge and powerful
complex has the capacity to desalinate eighty million gallons of seawater a day, converting it to potable water while
at the same time producing a low-cost electricity supply for the entire city.
As a delightful finishing touch, the municipality of Jeddah collected the scrap metal parts remaining from the
early kindasah and commissioned an artist to assemble them into sculptural forms that are now located on the roadside
lawns close to the new desalination plant, preserved for future generations as a historic reminder of Jeddah's past.
Times of Change
At the beginning of the twentieth century Jeddah's main export commodities were animal hides and skins. In the year
1910 imports, mainly rice and other grains to feed pilgrims, were 27 times the value of total exports, although the huge
imbalance was partly financed through spending by the pilgrims. At this time Jeddah was still a small, compact, walled
city described by Lawrence of Arabia, who stayed at the British Legation in 1916, as "like a dead city, so clean underfoot
and so quiet." The old British Legation, known locally as 'Lawrence's House', can still be seen, restored as a heritage
centre and now housing the Municipality Museum - but now dwarfed by the adjacent tower of the National Commercial Bank.
British foreign policy was behind Lawrence's visit and that year, with the incentive of ten million pounds in English
gold, the Sharif of Makkah overthrew his Turkish masters. However, Sharif Hussein's new rule was to last only nine years.
In the central region of Arabia the Al Saud had returned to take control and, led by the young Abdul Aziz, swept down
from their newly-regained stronghold of Riyadh and besieged Jeddah. With food and water supplies from the farms and
wells of Wadi Fatima under Saudi control Jeddah could not hold out for long and the city surrendered the keys to its
gates on December 23rd 1925.
Black Gold
Considering the frequent comings and goings of pilgrims, traders and conquerors it is remarkable that, during the
almost nine hundred years between the visit of Naser Khusrow and the arrival of Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Jeddah underwent
little change.
Apart from the Turkish barracks to the east of the lagoon there was not much beyond the city walls. Those who know
Jeddah today will be surprised to learn that until the late 1940s Ruwais, nowadays thought of as an old part of Jeddah,
was a coastal fishing village to the north of the walled city, and that what is now the bustling district of Bani Malik
was no more than a small desert settlement.
The city walls had five main gates: Bab Makkah, Bab Madinah, Bab El Bunt at the quayside, Bab Sharif and Bab Al
Maghribah. Close to the gates were the caravanserais providing hospitality for pilgrims and other visitors. The
diplomatic corps took up residence inside the Bab Madinah, occupying an area which became known as Bilad Al-Kanasil
(the consuls' quarter) because there, in the days before air conditioners, they got the best of the cooling breezes.
Change came with the Saudis. The 1930s were a time economic depression throughout the world, resulting in fewer
pilgrims and less trade, and the fortunes of Jeddah suffered alongside the strained finances of the new Saudi state.
But in May 1933 King Abdul Aziz Al Saud set his young nation on the road to unimaginable wealth when he granted the
first oil concession to the Standard Oil Company of California. The concession was signed in Jeddah by the King's
Minister of Finance, Abdullah Al Suleiman, and thirty-five thousand gold sovereigns were handed over a table, counted,
and paid into the Saudi exchequer. The oil began to flow five years later in 1938, but the following year progress was
delayed by the outbreak of the Second World War.
Twentieth Century Transformation
Saudi Arabia began to experience the benefits of oil exports in 1946, the year following the end of the Second World War, and in 1947 Jeddah's walls were demolished, preparing the city for its first expansion in almost a thousand years. Apart from seasonal influxes of pilgrims and traders, for the past hundred years Jeddah's resident population had remained at somewhere around twenty thousand.
As the oil flowed from the wells in the Eastern Province the Al Saud began to transform their Kingdom into a twentieth century state. Building materials, construction equipment, machinery, and everything else needed to build a modern infrastructure, started arriving at the Islamic Port of Jeddah, along with medical equipment, pharmaceutical supplies, automobiles, air conditioners, refrigerators, household goods and foodstuffs to supply the needs of a growing Saudi population, augmented by immigrant workers coming into the country to undertake the new jobs created by the Kingdom's new structural and economic growth. Not everything was destined for Jeddah, much was need to build the new road network across the Kingdom, along which even more was transported to the Holy Cities of Makkah, Madinah, to the capital city of Riyadh, and to the Kingdom's other cities and towns.
Between 1947 and 1971, the population of Jeddah had grown from thirty to three hundred and fifty thousand and, no longer bound by the city walls but limited southwards by the salt marshes, was expanding northwards along the coastline and eastwards inland restricted only the mountains of the Hejaz that form a backdrop to the city. Following the route of the Madinah Road, which has become Jeddah's main artery, the city first spread into Baghdadiyah, then on to Shariafiah where can still be seen some of the early palaces of the Royal Family. In the process, Bani Malik was swallowed up along with Ruwais, now no longer a coastal fishing community but inland due to reclamation from the sea. At the point where the Madinah Road intersects with Palestine Street, expansion halted for a while, until 1973 when oil prices quadrupled and the big boom began.
The Big Boom
The decade from 1973 to 1983 is fondly - and often longingly - remembered as the Golden Age of Saudi Arabia. The decision to quadruple oil prices enabled the Kingdom put into effect the most ambitious and far-reaching plans for expansion and development of the Kingdom's infrastructure and, awash with surplus petrodollars, the nation went on an unprecedented spending spree. Fortunes were made overnight as construction of roads, housing, schools, hospitals, supermarkets and shopping malls rushed ahead on a scale far surpassing the first post-war stage. Businessmen and workers poured into Jeddah from all over the world and the city continued to grow northwards, crossing Palestine Street into Mushrefah, pausing again for a while at Pepsi Bridge then, as the population swelled to reach a million by 1980, mushrooming further and further north both inland and along the coast line. By 1990 the population of Jeddah had doubled to two million and is currently estimated at two and a half million, and still growing. Due to the baby boom in the mid-1980s more than 50% of the Saudi population is under the age of 20.
Imports skyrocketed as the newly-revived demand for building materials and consumer goods came in from all over the country. Jeddah port, with its centuries of experience, coped magnificently, expanding and improving its infrastructure apace with the staggering and ever increasing number of container ships queuing in lines, anchored outside the reef, awaiting their turn to offload. Within only twelve months the whole process of entering port, landing and clearing the cargo, was down to three days. By 1977 inbound cargo exceeded more than eight million tones, a vast increase on the mere 150,000 tonnes entering Jeddah port in 1946, and the volume kept on increasing by the month.
In 1980 the number of cars in the city was twenty times more than in 1971 and shipments of American autos - the most popular at that time, though later to be superseded by Japanese and European models - were arriving daily at the seaport. And it was not unusual to hear that a car had been airfreighted in, regardless of cost, so that the owner could boast about being the first with the latest model. Yachts, jewelry, silk rugs, every luxury, enriched the lives of Jeddah's new millionaires. Splendid new city palaces for princes and merchants graced the city, and beach villas and resorts spread along the Red Sea shoreline as the municipality transformed the coastal road into a landscaped, palm fringed corniche complete with fountains and piers for the delight and recreational pleasure of Jeddah's citizens and visitors.
Industrial Expansion
Yet these heady times were not all indulgence in an Arabian Nights fantasy land. The Al Saud government was shrewd enough to look to the long-term future and initiate a programme of five-year plans to regulate the Kingdom's growth and stabilize the nation's economy. A fundamental of economic policy was to make the Kingdom self-sufficient in as many areas as possible, reducing imports and creating jobs for the future of new generations of Saudis stemming from the baby-boom that followed the influx of oil wealth.
In cooperation with Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which had been established by royal decree in 1946, industrial zones were created, training institutes established for Saudi youth, and technology transfer began. Supported by a world class banking and investment system, the Kingdom has its own steel industry, produces its own building materials, construction products and plastic products, and household goods and everyday products such as soda drinks, detergents and washing-up liquids are manufactured under license from leading international brands such as Pepsi and Unilever. With oil as the Kingdom's main resource, Saudi Arabian Basic Industries (SABIC) was established to produced petrochemical based products and is today one of the Kingdom's biggest companies.
Enterprise such as these have transformed Saudi Arabia from importer to exporter, and in the industrial field, Saudi Arabian Amiantit, which has several of its factories in Jeddah, is now the world's biggest manufacturer of fiberglass pipes for water infrastructure projects and not only exports its products to countries all around the world, but also licenses its own manufacturing technologies to companies abroad, thus reversing the technology transfer process.
Saudi Arabia has natural deposits other than oil. Geological surveys have identified commercial quantities of gold, silver, copper, zinc, magnesite, kaolin, phosphate and bauxite, and mining of these resources is further reducing the Kingdom's imports and increasing its export potential.
Commercial Jeddah
With a thousand years of trading behind it and home to some of the world's most successful merchants and businessmen, it is natural that Jeddah is the commercial capital of Saudi Arabia. In addition, the city's geographical location places it at the heart of the region covered by the Middle East and North Africa with all of MENA's capitals within two hours flying distance, defining Jeddah as the commercial centre of the Middle East.
From the beginning, the Saudi government has encouraged private enterprise and entrepreneurship to diversify the national economy away from total dependence on oil revenues and has recently opened up the country to foreign investment, offering attractive incentives and benefits.
Equipped with a sophisticated infrastructure, a major international airport, modern communications, a strong banking and investment system, prime commercial properties, a high standard of health care, world class hotels and shops, and of course its huge seaport, Jeddah is a city with a welcome for all comers.
Businessmen and investors, big and small, will find everything they need to operate successfully and can be assured of every cooperation and assistance from the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and its associate the Jeddah Marketing Board, whose mission is to promote Jeddah as a city with limitless investment opportunities and as a tourist destination for the conservative and discerning visitor.
Visiting Jeddah
When planning to visit Jeddah, business, family and transit visitors from non-GCC countries must first secure a letter of invitation from a Saudi company or other Saudi sponsor, who will then request a visit visa for the applicant to enter Saudi Arabia. When granted, the visa can be collected from the Saudi Embassy or Consulate in the applicant's country of origin. Tourist visas are issued only for approved tour groups following organized itineraries.
Religious visitors traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj need to be part of an organized group and their travel agency will obtain visas. In addition, Muslims traveling from one country to another, for example from Europe to the Far East or between other Middle East countries, can route their journey via Jeddah Airport, where they will be issued with a special transit visa permitting a 72 hour stopover to visit Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah. To qualify, the traveler must make an application in advance, which can be done on-line, and obtain prior approval from the appropriate Saudi authorities. Also, on arriving at Jeddah airport, the transit passenger must have a valid air ticket for an onward destination.
As a port city, Jeddah is a convenient berthing point to access the Suez Canal, with busy connections to Port Sudan, Cairo, Amman, Damascus, United Arab Emirates, and the Persian Gulf states. Changes in legislation are scheduled to allow trans-shipment of goods through Jeddah Islamic Port, resulting in a throughput increase estimated at US$ 3 billion in value.
King Abdul Aziz International Airport provides domestic and international flight services, handling more that 16 million passengers a year and over 150,000 metric tonnes of air cargo. KAAIA is also the site of the design award-winning Hajj terminal, an outstanding architectural achievement that is the largest covered area in the world.
A highly developed road infrastructure extends from Jeddah, crossing the Arabian Peninsula to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Yemen.
Religion
Islam is the official religion of Saudi Arabia and provides the basis of life and society in the Kingdom. The Five Fundamental Pillars of Islam are:
- Monotheism
. There is but one God (Allah) and Mohammed is His Messenger. This is the declaration of faith that all Muslims must make.
- Prayer
. Prayer is a direct link between the worshipper and Allah. Muslims perform prayers five times a day.
- Zakat
. Each year Muslims calculate Zakat, which for most purposes involves annual payment of two and a half percent of their wealth, which is given to the poor and needy.
- Fasting
. During the holy month of Ramadan Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk. It is a means of self-purification and allows Muslims to identify with the plight of the hungry.
- Hajj
. This is the pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah Al Mukaramah that all Muslims who are physically and financially must undertake at least once in a lifetime.
Seventy kilometers to the east of Jeddah is Makkah. Built more than 4,000 years ago, the Kaaba is the site where Abraham first received intervention from Allah. It is now the focal point of the Islamic religion. Muslims from all over the world visit the Holy City to perform Hajj and Umrah.
Madinah, the city where the Prophet Mohammed's Mosque is located, lies 424 kilometers to the north of Jeddah and attracts a similar number of visitors as Makkah. Although Madinah has its own airport it is not internationally recognized and Jeddah remains the main point of entry for pilgrims from overseas.
In addition to investing in restoration programmes for the Kaaba and the Two Holy Cities, the Saudi Arabian Government has passed new visa legislation which allows pilgrims to perform their religious duties at any time of the year. This will encourage more visitors to undertake their pilgrimage and the estimated number is set to increase from 2.5 million to 10 million a year over the next 5 years, resulting in a corresponding increase in trade, transport and tourism.
Currency
The Kingdom's currency is the Saudi Riyal. The exchange rate is pegged to the US dollar and there are no restrictions on converting the currency or transferring funds out of the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has ten licensed commercial banks, operating under the supervision of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), each with numerous branches in Jeddah, and the city has several long-established and highly respected money changers dealing in foreign currencies.
Climate
During the six months from October to April the weather is pleasantly warm on most days and cool in the evenings. Between May and September it is hot and humid, and this is the best time for those who come to Jeddah to enjoy the sun and sea. On most days, throughout the year, the climate is tempered by cooling breezes that blow down from the northwest and waft in from the sea. It rarely rains in Jeddah, but when it does it comes as a tropical storm accompanied by spectacular displays of lightning and the city receives a torrential downpour, which sometimes floods the city but is usually welcomed with joy and thankfulness by Jeddah's residents.
What to Wear
Year round, clothing should be lightweight and comfortable. At any time a suit and tie is best for non-Arab business visitors, with informal wear for relaxing. A casual jacket or sweater should be on hand for the cooler months, but is rarely needed even in the evenings. Pack shorts and swimwear for the sea or the hotel pool, but it is best not to wear shorts in public places.
Ladies should dress modestly at all times and when in public are advised to wear an abaya, the traditional black covering garment worn by all Saudi women. The abaya can be bought inexpensively in Jeddah from the many specialist shops, comes in a wide range of designs often embroidered with jet beads, and makes an attractive souvenir to take back home. Far from being an imposition, it is a romantic garment, something like a cloak, and most non-Arab women enjoy the novelty of wearing it and carry it off with great style.
Where to Stay
Jeddah has a multitude of hotels at every price level. Most of the top international groups are represented and their hotels, either newly-built or splendidly refurbished, rank among the most luxurious anywhere and include Jeddah Hilton, Jeddah InterContinental, Jeddah Crowne Plaza, Jeddah Sheraton, Westin Jeddah, Radisson SAS Jeddah, Jeddah Marriott, Le Meridien Jeddah, Mercure Al Bustan and Sofitel Al Hamra Jeddah (Accor Group), and Al Bilad (Golden Tulip Group). Other leading Jeddah hotels include the Red Sea Palace and Al Harithy Hotel. There are also many residential apartment hotels, especially popular with long-stay visitors.
What to Do
Once in Jeddah there is a lot to see and do. It's a big city and the best way to see it first is to take a daytime drive along the beautiful Corniche road with the Red Sea shimmering on one side, passing along the way many of the modern sculptures, including a Henry Moore, that adorn the city, the fishing piers and seaside restaurants, and the amusement parks for children. It is necessary to take a short detour round the impressive desalination plant, which gives the opportunity to see the sculptures made from the old kindasah, before continuing to the stretch of the Corniche where the newest of Jeddah's five star hotels are located.
A notable sight is the King Fahad Fountain, the highest and most powerful in the world. Located off the coast, the fountain is in the shape of a mobkhara, a traditional Saudi incense burner, and the column of seawater which shoots up into the sky represents the rising smoke of the incense.
Then, repeat the drive at night when the brightly lit Corniche is alive with people and the fountain and the desalination plant make an impressive sight illuminated against the night sky.
Old Jeddah
A visit to Old Jeddah is not to be missed. Balad, as it is called in Arabic, is still very much the place to experience the vibrant commercial activity that for centuries has characterized the city. Bustling with people and street vendors, it is a mixture of ancient and modern with its old covered bazaar amidst new shopping malls and office buildings. Entering Balad by the Madinah Road through Baghdadiyah, passing the Red Sea Palace Hotel, the first landmark is the National Commercial Bank building, which is often called the first Arab skyscraper and is considered to be one of the finest modern buildings in the world. Opposite the NCB tower is the old British Legation, also known as Lawrence's House.
From Lawrence's House, turn leftwards into King Abdul Aziz Street, Balad's main thoroughfare, and wander into the maze of side streets and alleyways between the old coral stone houses that take you into the world of Jeddah long ago, and then continue down to the entrance to Souk Al Alawi. The 120 year old Nassif House, formerly the family residence of Sheikh Omar Afandi Nassif, a leading Jeddah businessman, is on the right at the beginning of the street and behind it is a picturesque area with a Moroccan restaurant and souvenir shops. Further up Al Alawi Street are colourful shops and stalls selling herbs, spices and perfumes.
One of the best ways to see Old Jeddah is to take the free tour of Balad organized by Mr. Sami Nawar, telephone 647 2280, who will also arrange entrance to the ground floor galleries of the Nassif House, open free to the public from 5pm to 9pm every weekday. Tours of some of upper floors of the Nassif House can be pre-arranged for groups of more than 20 persons.
Also of interest is the Darat Safeya Binzagr, not in Balad but located on Dubayy Street, off the Madinah Road, one block south of Waly Al Ahd Street, in an elegant, purpose-built modern building. This beautiful art gallery and museum has eight ground floor rooms displaying the paintings of the renowned Saudi artist Safeya Binzagr, daughter of one of the great merchant families, and a fascinating collection of costumes, jewellery and other artifacts that bring the history and culture of the region alive. Upstairs, for ladies only, there is a library and the artist runs studios on the premises. It is open on Wednesday 5.30pm to 8.30pm and on Thursday from 10.30am to 1.30pm for ladies only.
Diving the Red Sea
The coral reefs of the Red Sea occur along the length of the coastline and offer some of the most spectacular underwater sights in the world. Rainbow coloured parrot fish, shoals of golden red scalefin anthias, yellow clown fish darting in and out of sea anemones, peacock groupers, Picasso trigger fish, titan trigger fish, angel fish, butterfly fish, and shimmering chequerboard wrasse, are but a few of the five hundred species of fishes that abound in the clear blue waters.
Jeddah is an ideal centre for scuba diving and snorkeling expeditions. The city has several specialist dive shops selling most of the top brands including Scubapro, US Divers, Cressi and Tusa, and offering Padi diving courses. Underwater photography is popular and equipment is available at most camera shops.
The reef is easily accessible from the shore. North of Jeddah, a walk through the lagoon, where the sea is rarely more than knee deep, leads to the edge of the reef which suddenly shelves away in a steep underwater cliff face encrusted with coral formations and teeming with myriads of exotic fishes in every colour shape and size. Jeddah treasures and cares for its reef and spear fishing and coral collecting is banned.
Along the northern coastline, about half an hour drive from the city, there are many beach resorts that rent cabins or are open to visitors for a day's sunbathing, swimming and diving. Several are under the management of the city's leading hotels, which run minibus excursions for guests.
To the south of Jeddah, beyond the port, the reef is much shallower and the diving less spectacular. Along this stretch of the coastline wind surfing is the more popular sport.
Boats can be hired for sea fishing trips and it is worth going out to the five mile reef and beyond to the twelve mile reef where barracuda and manta rays can sometimes be seen. Often, the boat will be accompanied by dolphins.
Excursions
Taif.
For trips outside Jeddah it is advisable to rent a four wheel drive. The favourite destination is Taif, a town located the mountains behind the city, which is a popular summer resort for Jeddah residents due to its cooler climate. It takes about a two hour drive up the steep escarpment to reach the top via the modern road, a famous feat of engineering that opened up Taif to visitors. At the summit you will be greeted by mischievous baboons scampering from rock to rock - take some bananas to feed them - and rewarded by the magnificent view. The first town is Al Hada, with Taif another 20 km further on. Taif is famous for its fields of commercially-grown roses and lavender, and Ward Taifi (Taif Rose), an attar of roses distilled from the first pressing, is one of the most beautiful, and costly, perfumes in the world.
Moon Mountain.
Another local excursion is to Moon Mountain which is only 45 minutes drive from Jeddah. It looks high but is a relatively easy climb and the effort is worth the view from the top.
The Hejaz Railway and Madain Saleh.
Madain Saleh is famous as the site of the eighty monumental tombs carved out the rock 2000 years ago by the Nabateans, whose empire stretched from Damascus to Yemen. The 850 kilometres journey from Jeddah, it is best made as a four day camping trip, following the route of the old Hejaz Railway, with a half-way stop at the Madinah Sheraton - located outside the exclusion zone, the hotel is open to non-Muslims - and an overnight stop at the Medain Saleh Hotel.
Constructed on the orders of the Caliph of Turkey between 1900 and 1908, the railway is a historic remnant of the time when Western Arabia was part of the Ottoman Empire. Officially for the transport of pilgrims from Damascus to the Holy City of Madinah, the railway's real purpose was to carry Turkish troops enforcing Ottoman control of the area. It was destroyed in the First World War during the 1916 Arab Revolt against Turkish rule. Later repaired, parts of the line were in use until the 1950s when it fell into disuse due to better roads and air travel. The track was removed for scrap metal but the embankment remains and the ruins of the sandstone stations, troop garrisons and water towers are interesting to explore, while at some stations derailed, rusting locomotives and wagons can still be seen. At Madain Saleh the station workshop has been restored as a museum and displays a steam locomotive in superb condition.
Where to Shop
Jeddah has hundreds and hundreds of shops of every type from open air souks and bazaars to the most modern air conditioned shopping malls. Gold is a bargain and there are numerous specialist gold shops selling the precious metal by weight at the rate of the day, which is much lower than prices in most other countries. Gold can be bought in many forms ranging from traditional tola bars and Swiss ingots to Asian style jewelry. Gem-set jewellery is also highly popular and shops abound throughout the city, with almost all of the great names represented including Cartier, Boucheron, Bulgari, Tiffany and Harry Winston. Wrist watches are also very popular buys and all of the leading brands are available in Jeddah ranging from inexpensive mass market lines to the most costly models by the world's great watchmakers. Electronic equipment, photographic and audio visual equipment is also popular.
The city has many shops selling oriental rugs from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey, where tough bargaining over a glass of tea or coffee is part of the fun of buying, and there are souvenir shops selling traditional items such as Bedouin jewellery and Arabian coffee pots.
Fashion followers, male and female, should head for Tahlia Street, Jeddah's equivalent of New York's Fifth Avenue or London's Oxford Street, where most of the famous western brands are available, and El Khayyat Center, also in Tahlia Street, where leading fashion retailers such as Rubaiyat have boutiques for Armani, Emporio Armani, Gucci and Zegna, alongside other top names such as Louis Vuitton and DKNY.
Gourmet foods, gateaux, fine chocolates and dates are very popular among Saudis and expatriates, both for personal consumption and as gifts, and Jeddah has an excellent variety of gourmet shops and chocolate shops that take pride in beautiful gift wrapping. Foremost are Le Gourmet, Al Forn, Le Notre, Patchi, and Bateel which specializes in luxury date products.
Many of Jeddah's shops offer discount as standard, so never be afraid to ask for it, and bargains and special promotions are a feature of the Jeddah Shopping Festival held annually from mid-June to the end of July, and during Ramadan and the Eid Al Fitr that immediately follows the month of fasting.
Where to Eat
The cosmopolitan character of Jeddah goes back centuries and the ethnic mix of residents has brought most national cuisines to the city. There are restaurants that specialize in the traditional dishes of the Arabian Peninsula made with lamb, goat or camel meat, Lebanese, Moroccan, Egyptian and Turkish restaurants, and Indian, Pakistani, Indonesian, Chinese and Korean restaurants. Recently, Japanese cuisine has become popular and there are several of these unique restaurants. Among European cuisines, Italian restaurants are favourites with Saudis and expatriates alike, gourmet French cuisine is represented by several elegant establishments, and the British will be pleased to learn that there are Harry Ramsden's fish and chip restaurants in Jeddah.
Most of the top hotels have three of four different restaurants, each specializing in a particular type of cuisine, and usually one that features specialty nights devoted to a specific national type of food.
Almost all of the best known popular restaurant franchises, from McDonalds, Hardees and Popeyes to Chilis, Fridays and Pizza Hut, are represented in Jeddah, but it is interesting to note that the most successful restaurant chain, favourite among Saudi and other Arab nationals, is the entirely Saudi-owned and managed Al Baik, which specializes in chicken and shrimp. Coffee shops include Barnies, Joffreys and Starbucks.
Note that all restaurants and coffee shops, including those in hotels, are segregated into family and men only sections.