Jeddah is the second largest city after Riyadh, it is the main port of the Kingdom on the Red Sea and main gate through which most of the pilgrims arrive by air and sea to perform Umrah, Haj or to visit the two holy mosques. Area inhabited is more than 1,500 km, and population is more than one and half million. Jeddah is an industrial and active commercial center, with modern features, squares and courtyards. It is an important tourism center, with an eighty kilometer long beautiful corniche on the Red Sea coast. Jeddah also comprises the King Abdul Aziz University, King Abdul Aziz International Airport and Jeddah Islamic Port. King Fahd Fountain is located inside the Red Sea, near the coast, is an outstanding feature of the port of Jeddah particularly during the night when it sends beautiful colored water up to two hundred and sixty meters.
Airport
Jeddah is served by King Abdulaziz International Airport which is one of the world’s busiest airports. The airport has four passenger terminals. One is the Hajj Terminal, a special outdoor terminal covered by very huge tents, which was constructed to handle the more than 2 million pilgrims who pass through the airport during the Hajj season. The Southern Terminal is used for Saudi Airlines flights with the Northern Terminal for foreign and other national airlines. The Royal Terminal is a special terminal for VIPs, foreign Kings and Presidents, and even the Saudi Royal Family. A portion of the airport was used by Coalition B-52 heavy bombers during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Seaport
Moreover, the Jeddah Seaport which is the 32nd busiest seaport in the world (2007) handles the majority of Saudi Arabia’s commercial movement.
Roads and rails
Jeddah does not have any rapid transit system but a current plan to connect the city to the capital, Riyadh, via a train. It is now under construction. The Haramain High Speed Rail Project will provide a high speed rail connection to Mecca and Medina.Modern streets connect the city parts to each other. In Jeddah the main highways run parallel to each other with an eight lane road.
Places to visit in Jeddah
Jeddah Amusement Parks
The city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia is one the largest cities in the country. Commercial capital of the country, Jeddah attracts a number of business travelers from across the world. But a large chunk of leisure tourists also visit this ancient city on the coast of the Red Sea. If one is planning a family vacation at Jeddah then they will not be disappointed with the facilities and spots of sightseeing in Jeddah. This ancient city of Saudi Arabia boasts of a large selection of recreational activities that range from museums to sports activities and a growing favorite of the younger tourists- the Amusement Parks in Jeddah.
Jeddah Museums
Jeddah consists many local and private museums among which the Municipality Museum is one the most important and prominent museum. Museums in Jeddah are one of the major tourist attractions in Jeddah. The rich cultural diversity and heritage and the richer history of the city of Jeddah is evident from the Jeddah Museums.
Abdul Raouf Khalil’s Museum
Most visited museum in Jeddah is located in the downtown district of Jeddah. The history of the country is reflected through the collection of this museum. The museum traces the various civilizations that inhabited the region. The museum is divided into three segments; Saudi Heritager, Ottoman Empire and European Development
Municipality Museum
Back 200 years heritage structure are well preserved in the Municipality Museum. It is located near the National Commercial Bank. Many ancient artifacts are now on display for the common public at the museums. People come here to witness the historic references of the city.
Jeddah Food
KABSA: The Saudi Kingdom is well known for its variety of traditional dishes that reflect the diversity of the regions and the custom of the people. Most of the dishes contain meat, rice, wheat, vegetables and spices that give these recipes a special flavor. One of Saudi Arabia’s most famous dishes is Al-Kabsa.
Kabsa, a traditional food of Saudi Arabia, is made of rice cooked with red or white meat or chicken in a pot. A variety of spices and salads can be added to the dish. Al-Kabsa is considered a staple dish throughout the Kingdom..
The chicken is great but the rise taste strange for newbies.
One of Jiddah`s malls that offers many brand names(Woolworth,Zara,Accssesorize,woolworth…ect.)It has a play area for the kids. Mostly for kids clothes and women.Hera was the first shopping mall built in Jeddah, it has been expanded in the last couple of years and is now 112,000m sq big.It has a mixture of popular international brands - such as Zara, Mango, Mothercare, Colours of Bennetton, Laura Ashley, Espirit. And some good local shops - Al Mustab, Danube.There is a children’s play area with rides.Eating facilities - McDonalds, Fuddruckers, coffee shops (Cafe Du Lord and couple of others), Starbucks, KFC
, Pizza Hut.Parking for 1,500 cars but it can get congested around the main entrances at peak times.At the moment there is increased security, so only 1 entrance is open -so it gets pretty crowded at night.
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