Lifestyle Corner: Music, Museums, Culture, and Seaside Activities in Jeddah

In Arabic, Jeddah’s motto is “Jeddah Ghair,” which means “Jeddah is different.” As Saudi Arabia’s historical gateway between Makkah and the Red Sea, Jeddah is known as a melting pot of peoples, customs, cuisine, craftsmanship, products, and ideas from across Africa and Asia. The city’s relatively cool climate, diverse experiences, and unique architecture make it a must-see for visitors to the country and an enriching place to live for its residents. 

The Jeddah Summer Festival 

This festival, the city’s largest annual cultural and business event, is a month-long celebration held annually for more than 20 years. It takes place right after the end of Ramadan and is typically marked with a wide variety of sports and cultural events.  

Visitors can: 

• • Watch and participate in various sporting events: water polo, rowing races, iron man contest, beach soccer, model car racing, and much more 
  • Watch a lavish firework show every other night starting at 11 pm 
  • Explore an entertainment village for children and families 
  • Try delicious food such as “kabsa,” a typical Saudi dish from the area made with rice and lamb or chicken. Feel free to wander around the festival area to try delicious meals prepared by pop-up street food vendors 
  • In addition to events planned by the city, visitors can find many unscheduled private events or specials at restaurants and other venues 

 

The 2021 Summer Festival was canceled due to COVID-19 but the 2022 Summer Festival is tentatively set for June 6-27. Keep an eye out for official announcements for next year’s event! 

 

The Jeddah World Music Festival

Once it resumes in 2022 this festival will take place every year during the Jeddah Summer Festival mentioned above. In July 2019, the first ever Jeddah World Music Festival attracted 40,000 fans to see performances by Janet Jackson, Liam Payne, 50 Cent, Tyga, Future, Steve Aoki, and more. The 2021 festival was canceled due to the pandemic, and the 2022 festival dates have not yet been set, but it likely will be held around the same time (July) as 2019’s event.

Events at Jeddah Super Dome

North of the city, the recently built Jeddah Super Dome in King Abdullah Sports City serves as a multi-purpose venue for soccer and other sporting events, as well as music events like the June 18, 2021 performance by Egyptian pop star Amr Diab.

• • Click here for tickets and schedule of events. Two shows in August have already been planned, so keep an eye out for more future events as they are announced.

 

The Music Space

The Music Space is a new, cozy concert venue catering mainly to Indie and Alternative musicians and their fans, but the space also hosts artists from other backgrounds such as Jazz, Blues, R&B, Funk, Soul, Classical, and Progressive Rock.

• • Click here for upcoming events
  • Tickets range from 450 SAR (1 seat) to over 1800 SAR (4 seat table)
  • Location: 6568 Harash Ibn Umayyah, Al Zahra, Jeddah 23521

 

 

Art and Culture

In addition to its festivals, music, and architecture, Jeddah keeps to its reputation as Saudi Arabia’s cultural capital with a number of art museums and galleries.

Athr Gallery: a multifunctional art space with immersive, interactive exhibits and rotating thematic exhibitions from local and international artists.

• • Location: Serafi Mega Mall (5th floor), Serafi Mega Mall Street, Al Faisaliyah, Jeddah 23441′

 

Adham Art Center: located in Salma Commercial Center near central Jeddah, this gallery is both a working space for artists and open to visitors who enjoy unique paintings in various styles featuring scenes and snapshots of life from across Saudi Arabia.

• • Location: Abu Bakr Al Siddiq Rd, Salma Commercial Center, Jeddah 22264

 

Atelier La Vie: a mixed-use development in the heart of Jeddah featuring a brand-new art gallery, cafés, restaurants, as well as a cinema, gym, and spa.

• • Location: 3449 King Abdulaziz Branch Road, Al Shati District 8185, Jeddah 23514

 

Hafez Gallery: this gallery brings together Middle Eastern and international artists to “visually converse and explore modern and contemporary art,” and is also open to the public.

• • Location: Ahmad Ibn Abbas, Ar Rawdah, Jeddah 23435

 

Saudi Art Council’s “21,39” series: a curated art festival of exhibitions, gallery openings, workshops, and more, focused on the culture and history of Jeddah.

• • Location: The Saudi Art Council Gate 2, Gold Moor, Al Zahra District 7216 Ahmad Al Attas St., Jeddah 23425

 

More information on art galleries in Jeddah can also be found from Destination KSA’s website.

 

Al Comedy Club

Al Comedy Club was Saudi Arabia’s first comedy club and is to this day a great destination for a night out. Be aware that most of the shows will be in Arabic, however sometimes a stand-up segment will be in English, usually if the comedian on stage is an English speaker.

• • Click here for a schedule of upcoming shows and tickets
  • Location: 3238 Al Kurnaysh Rd, Ash Shati’ District, Jeddah 23412

 

 

Jeddah’s Old Town – Al-Balad

Among other things, Jeddah is well-known for its old city, also known as Al-Balad, which translates to “the town,” whose layout and architecture date back at least 500 years, although the area had been continuously inhabited for thousands more years. Over the past few decades, the Saudi government has worked to restore and preserve the old city’s traditional architecture to the point where it was admitted to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2014

Visitors can:

• • Take a stroll along its colorful traditional buildings made from brick and wood and ancient mosques
  • Grab something to eat in the town’s bustling streets lined by pop-up food
  • Buy souvenirs, traditional Saudi clothing, spices, and much more from the market stalls in the historic market
  • Visit Souq Al-Alawi: Jeddah’s outdoor Souq, or market, is the largest and one of the oldest in the country. Visitors and residents can buy food, drinks, clothing, souvenirs, and much more.

 

 

Visit King Abdullah Economic City

Discover King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) and experience the modern Saudi city with a unique architecture and culture, five-star hotels, spas, marinas, and a range of water sports with an elevated standard of living and services that make KAEC an ideal destination to visit.

Visitors can:

• • Go karting on a challenging 700-meter karting track filled with exciting bends, and high-speed corners. Price: SAR95 per person (weekdays) and SAR115 per person (weekends). Purchase tickets here
  • Swim, sunbathe, and play volleyball on Yam Beach, located on the virgin shores of the Bay La Sun District in KAEC. Click here for ticket prices and other important information.
  • Play mini gulf at Juman Mini Golf. Price: 40 SAR per person (weekdays) and 50 SAR per person (weekends). Purchase tickets here
  • Enjoy watersports and more at Bay La Sun Marina. This expansive marina by the water canal is not to be missed; surrounded by attractions for all age groups such as Juman Park and a mini golf course, activities include snorkeling, diving trips, canal tours, and fishing. Click here for ticket prices and other information.

 

 

Seafood and the Central Fish Market

Over 100 seafood stalls in Jeddah’s Central Fish Market, painted bright blue, sell fresh fish caught daily in the Red Sea such as red grouper, Napoleon wrasse, seabass, tuna, parrotfish, lobster, crabs, calamari, prawns, and much more. Bargaining is accepted, and the seafood prices are much lower than what you would find in supermarkets. You can ask the seafood vendor to clean the fish for a small fee (about SAR3-5 per kilogram) before taking your catch to another stall next to the Central Fish Market Restaurant to cook it for you (typically SAR10/kg for frying and SAR15/kg for grilling). The restaurant prepares meals of fresh seafood prepared from the market as well. The fish market is typically open from 5 AM to 9 PM.

• • Location: Al Kurnaysh Rd, Al-Baghdadiyah, Al-Gharbiyah, Jeddah 22232

 

 

Deep Sea and Chartered Fishing Trips

If you prefer to catch your own fish, Jeddah offers a number of chartered fishing trips. Charter vessel reservations can run from $100-$150 (SAR500-600) per hour, depending on the boat and services provided. Chartered fishing vessels can be rented for 8 hours/full day from some of the following websites, or you can get more information from the Red Sea Marina at Obhur in person or from their website.

The Alahlam Marina in Marsa, Jeddah also offers more information on boating, diving, fishing, “floating restaurants,” and more.

The Jeddah city government’s marina directory contains a full list of marinas in the city and their location and contact information as well.

 

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling

The Red Sea’s pristine coral reefs, ancient shipwrecks, excellent visibility of its turquouise blue waters, and bountiful aquatic life are the perfect conditions for scuba diving and snorkeling. Saudi Arabia boasts the longest coastline of any other country along the Red Sea, and fewer crowds than the more well-known Egyptian resorts makes Jeddah the best starting point for booking Red Sea scuba diving and snorkeling adventures.

Diving trips can be organized from the following dive centers & resorts:

• • Blue Reef Divers, near Bhadur Resort at Sharm Obhur, offers shore diving
    • Location: Behind Danube supermarket, off Tahlia Street, on the wharf next to Bhadur Resort
    • Tel: +966-2-6606368
• • Blue Reef Divers Branch
    • Location: Durrat Al-Arous, about 50km north of Jeddah
    • Tel: +966-2-6181777
• • Desert Sea Divers
    • Location: North Obhur road (Creek) near Rose Village Compound, after the big mosque. GPS: N21°43.685′, E39°06.449′
    • Tel: +966-2-6561807
• • Red Sea Divers
    • Location: Opposite Danube, off Tahlia Street GPS: N21°32.743′, E39°09.727′
    • Tel: +966-2-6606368
• • The Arab Circumnavigator
    • Location: Behind Danube supermarket, off Tahlia Street. GPS: N21°32.790′, E39°09.802
    • Tel: +966-2-6651304

 

For more information, see the Visit Saudi page on Jeddah’s top scuba sites or this website covering Jeddah’s top shipwreck dive sites.

 

Explore Shipwrecks in Abu Tair

Abu Tair’s most famous shipwreck is that of the Staphonos, also called the Cable Wreck because of the 1978 shipwreck’s cargo of mainly cables, chain-link fences, and large steel beams. The ship, sitting on its side, is beautifully lit by sunlight passing down through the Red Sea’s crystal-clear water and serves as a home for whitetip sharks, schools of goatfish, and blue-spotted rays.

From Jeddah, divers can also swim down to the famous Boiler Wreck, a 100-year-old coal-fired ship, enclosed by the Red Sea’s pristine red coral structures. More information on the many wreck-diving sites can be found here or here.

 

The Cable Wreck in the Red Sea, a popular diving spot. Source: Arab News.

Explore Bayada Island (Jeddah’s Maldives)

Enjoy a tour experience deep in the Red Sea on a 6 hour boat trip visiting Bayada Island (Jeddah’s Maldives) with Saudi Safari. Saudi Safari is a tourism agency that operates in Saudi Arabia and is recognized by its professionalism and creative itineraries.

Program includes swimming, fishing, sea sports, soft drinks, and snacks.

• • Click here to purchase ticket and view trip itinerary
  • 500 SAR per person

 

Bayda Island. Source: Saudi Safari

Go on a Desert Safari

Adventure travelers seeking desert treks, sand dune excursions, and desert camping will find all the outdoor fun they can handle. Saudi Trekkers Outdoors Adventures, a popular tour agency in Jeddah, offers safari tours, hiking trips, and team building games for companies.

• • https://www.instagram.com/sauditrekkers/
  • Location: Prince Sultan Road Prince Sultan Rd, Al Basatin District, Jeddah 23717, Saudi Arabia