JEDDAH- City of Red Sea.

Jeddah is a large, cosmopolitan port city on the Red Sea, and the main starting point of pilgrimages to the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Known as the Paris of Arabia, Jeddah also offers beaches, shopping districts, historic sights, golf courses and excellent possibilities for diving. Approximately 2.5 million foreign pilgrims visit Jeddah every year. Located on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah is the second largest city and the main commercial center of the country. It is the wealthiest city in the Middle East, with a cosmopolitan mix of inhabitants that is the result of over thousand years of pilgrims from all over the Islamic world coming to Jeddah to reach the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Jeddah is the most liberal city in Saudi Arabia, where a strict interpretation of Islam is followed, but religion still affects many parts of the society and daily life in the city. Prayer calls stop all other activity five times a day, and weekends are being celebrated from Thursday and Friday. Jeddah hosts a great number of restaurants and cafés, but as many forms of other entertainment are banned, do not expect to find a great deal of nightlife in Jeddah.

Sights and activities in Jeddah: shopping, diving & golf coursesJeddah is a large city that offers plenty of sights and activities. The old city, called Al-Balad, located in the southern side of the modern city center has plenty of traditional multi-story houses built from coral stone. Many of the old buildings, such as the Naseef House, have been preserved and act as museums. The old city also contains a popular bazaar, Souq al-Alawi. Shopping in Jeddah is very good, and the city contains many traditional souqs as well as a myriad of modern designer shops and glamorous shopping malls. Besides the historic Naseef House, the museums in Jeddah include an archaeological and ethnological museum, a municipal museum and an arts heritage museum. Jeddah is home to the tallest fountain in the world, named King Fahid Fountain. The long seaside avenue, Corniche connects the city together and offers nice beaches, cafés, seaside resorts and sculptures. Diving in Jeddah is excellent, as the Red Sea offshore to the city is filled with beautiful coral reefs with abundant marine life. There are diving and snorkeling excursions available. Jeddah also has many public recreational parks, as well as a water park of Sail Island and a theme park called Al-Shalal. Golf in Jeddah is popular entertainment, and there are several good golf courses near the city. Desert excursions by four-wheel drive cars are also available. Jeddah also hosts an annual festival with many games and activities from water skiing to art exhibitions and music.