JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA

OVERVIEW

• When: 1 January – 4 January, 2025 (total trip including Egypt- 18 December -5 January, 2025)
• Where (accommodations): Waldorf Astoria Jeddah – Qasr Al Sharq
• Transportation: Saudia Airlines from Sharm El-Sheikh (SSH), Egypt to Jeddah (JED). Return from Jeddah (JED) to Cairo (CAI) on Saudia, then KML/ITA back to Boston via Rome
• Sights/attractions: Jeddah Corniche, Wave roundabout, Red Sea Mall, Flying Carpet Roundabout, Cars Roundabout, Al Rahmah Mosque (Floating Mosque), Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina, Jeddah Flagpole, Al-Balad (Old Jeddah), Ba’eshen House, Al Shafee Mosque, Nassif House Museum, Tariq Abdulhakim Center museum, teamLab Borderless, Oia Beach Club
• Food/drinks: Aromi Restaurant at Waldorf Astoria, Al Shurfa Lounge, Sara Cafe, Le Vesuvio, Hijazhouse, Noug

Saudi Arabia, country #69 for me and quite a surprise for a lot of people. When asked where we are going for this Christmas/New Year’s trip everyone was excited for Egypt (which was awesome by the way). Not so many people were excited about Saudi Arabia. In fact, even when we were IN Saudi Arabia, a few locals asked if we are there for work. When we said no, they asked- then why are you here?! Not in any bad way, as in, we don’t want you. But in a surprised kind of way. As if this gorgeous old city, with an endearing nickname “Bride of the Red Sea” is not worthy of visitors for simply touring and sightseeing.

To be completely transparent Saudi Arabia was not on our bucket list destinations (as much as I would love to see every country in the world). It was surrounded by mystery, things that we heard about it, rules that were no longer in place- we went with a bit of nervousness and uncertainty. For example, I read somewhere that even as a married couple you should not hold hands in public. It is NOT TRUE. We asked the hotel and we saw plenty of couples holding hands, hugging etc. We also heard about the limited women’s rights – which for sure was the case less than 10 years ago, but a lot has changed with the current Crown Prince/Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud as de facto ruler of the Kingdom.

Either way- I am glad we came to Jeddah and debunked some of the myths for ourselves. Egypt was a bit chilly (especially in the evenings) and we wanted to end the trip in a warm weather. I also wanted to check off another country. The flight is very short from Sharm El-Sheikh (less than 2 hours) and three days in a beautiful city seemed like a perfect way to finish the trip- it surely was!

In the previous years Saudi Arabia was not tourist friendly and most visas were for work only. However, now that the country is open for tourism, the only thing you need is an e-visa. For both Lithuanian and American Citizens it was a super easy application process and visa was granted pretty much immediately.

Customs was a breeze (besides a pretty long line). Jeddah is the closest airport to Makka (Mecca)- the holiest city in Saudi Arabia. So all the muslim pilgrims land in Jeddah (unless they are arriving by land). The airport for sure was busy, but the line moved fast and there were no questions from the officers (women) as to why we are here or where are we going. There is a huge aquarium at the airport and the main difference from other airports is outfits. Men that are going straight to Mecca wore white towel outfits- they actually changed on the plane. We noticed that some boarded the flight in Egypt in Western clothes, but before the plane landed they were in the white towels. Our guide later explained that it means they are going straight to the holy Mecca.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Waldorf Astoria Jeddah – Qasr Al Sharq

It’s the end of the trip, so we didn’t skimp on accommodations. We wanted to be centrally located and this palace hotel came with glowing reviews.

Did I say glowing? It’s more like glistening in gold with a three-story Swarovski chandelier! The name that translates “Palace of the East” this place wowed us every time we stepped foot into the lobby.

I am not even kidding. Pretty much every time we walked in here, I was either taking a picture or a video. Also, it seemed empty the whole three nights we were there!

It is connected to Jeddah Hilton, which we check out as well. It’s also beautiful, but was a lot busier and did not look so much like a palace, but more like a modern hotel (at least in the lobby).

The inner yard connecting the two places has a mosque and Hilton has an outdoor pool. Now comes the rules part. Only men and children can swim in the outdoor pool. Women have a gorgeous spa in the Waldorf Astoria, but it’s inside and only women are allowed to enter. So as much as Saudi Arabia is progressing, some of the strict rules are still in place. It was over 80F outside and we really would’ve liked to jump in the pool together, but that was not allowed (so neither of us went in).

On the first evening we were tired and just wanted to get dinner and go to bed, so we ate at the Aromi Restaurant right at the hotel. It was delicious wagyu beef and truffle mashed potatoes. No alcohol (which we later found out) is allowed in the entire country.

Of course black market exists, people make their own moonshine risking lashing and hefty fines. But officially to buy alcoholic drinks is only available in a limited area for diplomats in the capital Riyadh. Not a problem for us, but if you expect to have drinks in Saudi Arabia, prepare for the endless list of fancy mocktails instead!

We also had lunch at the Al Shurfa Lounge right at the hotel one of the days- staff was from the Philippines, super friendly, and the food was delicious. Portions are massive, beware!

Ok, so we have a gorgeous hotel, tasty food, what else is there to see and do in Jeddah? Here is what we end up doing in basically 2.5 days here.

Jeddah Corniche

Also called Jeddah Waterfront (JW), this is a beautiful waterfront area along the Red Sea. There is a long path that we walked the first evening (and during the day). It seemed to be especially alive in the evening- people sitting on the carpets drinking tea, kids running around and playing, it seemed like a great place to hangout. Of course during the day it’s hot, so mostly people sat in the shade under the trees, but in evening they were straight up on the tiled path.

There were also A LOT of wild cats and kittens. Muslims do not like dogs (or so our guide said), but cats were everywhere. They were fed, none looked starving, which was a relief to see.

Jeddah Roundabouts

We only saw a few and only because it was in the area/we drove by. But Jeddah has a lot of creative sculptures in their roundabouts/rotaries.

Wave roundabout was right near our hotel, so we saw that one first.

Then, once I read that there is a “Magic carpet” one, I just needed to see it. So we walked during the heat of the day from the Red Sea Mall to check it out.

It is very cool, I’m not gonna lie.

The other one, not sure of the meaning, but it was not far from the “Magic carpet”so we walked over to see it.

I mean it looks like the cars smashed into the wall, no? I hope everyone is ok haha. Interesting choice of an art on the road, but hey, points for creativity!

Last one we saw on the way out of Jeddah- looked like a massive globe and was very impressive!

Not necessarily a roundabout, but still a famous landmark is The Jeddah Flagpole– freestanding flagpole that is 171 meters (561 ft) high and at one point was the tallest flagpole in the world. Our guide said that when the flag is flying, that means the King is in Jeddah. That was not the case when we visited, as the pole was bare.

Sara Cafe and girl talk

Now this is not a ‘sightseeing destination’ per se, but I have to talk about it, because we ate here for three mornings in a row.

We searched for places that have gluten free food and this came up. Not everything is GF, but they have many delicious options.

I am still dreaming about these pancakes that required no syrup- we got them every time with no hesitation.

Here we also met two cool girls – one Filipina and one Saudi Arabian. Interesting fact is that Jackie is born and raised in Saudi Arabia, but because her parents are immigrants from the Philippines, she does not have Saudi Arabian passport (or the same status). She is still considered expat, regardless of living in Saudi Arabia all her life.

We had great conversations both with Jackie and Rawan and got different perspectives on women life in Saudi Arabia.

In fact we talked to another Filipino waiter at a completely different part of the city, who ended up being Jackie’s friend! The life of non-Saudi is definitely different. They get different benefits, insurance etc. It is not equal rights despite from the outside seemingly looking the same.

Talking to a Saudi girl was very enlightening too. We had many questions and she did not mind answering them all! Women’s lives are changing dramatically from what it used to be not long ago. Driving ban was lifted just in 2018 and now we saw a LOT of women driving. But, fun fact- I guess a lot of them are bad drivers, because- drum roll- the only driving teachers for women are women. And guess what- those teachers just recently learned how to drive themselves 🙂 .

We asked about everything- clothes, marriages, divorce etc. Just in the recent past Saudi women had to be covered head to toe, a lot of them required to only leave the slit for the eyes. This is no longer a requirement and even head cover is optional. A lot of women still wear traditional abaya, many also cover their face, but this is now more dependent on their choice and the choice of their family. We saw many women with colorful open style abayas, I actually bought one and wore it because it was light and I felt elegant and beautiful in it.

For sure do not expect to see any women wearing shorts or short dresses. I was not going to risk to stand out and therefore was properly covered up, but no head cover is required, especially in Jeddah, which is more tourist friendly city than some other places in KSA.

Muslim men can have four wives and the previous wives would get a text about the new marriage. However, women can request a divorce and it is not uncommon practice. We also found out about the amazing beach club access from this local girl. Since we could not enjoy the hotel pool together, swimming in the Red Sea on our last day was magical!

Red Sea Mall

No trip would be complete without a little bit of shopping. Well, the best mall of Jeddah was right near our hotel, it was too hot to be outside and I wanted to get some perfumes so we walked over and did a little retail excursion.

It did not seem as impressive as some of the malls we’ve seen in Asia, but it was still a nice experience.

Al Rahmah Mosque (Floating Mosque)

Located on the edge of the Corniche Road this mosque is a gorgeous place to visit. We left a few minutes too late and missed it during sunset, but even in the dusk it did not disappoint.

During the high tide it looks like it’s floating on water, hence the name “Floating Mosque”.

You actually are allowed to enter. We came during prayer time and Sean was welcome to enter to the main entrance with the men. Women have a side entrance, so I went there. It’s inside the same mosque, but women have a partition blocking them from seeing the main area.

There is a beautiful open courtyard facing the water- this mosque for sure is a must visit while in Jeddah!

Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina

We didn’t go to the actual Yacht Club, but walked in the beautiful area around it. Our dinner reservations were at Le Vesuvio a nice restaurant with a view of the marina.

Delicious food and creative mocktails! Bonus points for the gluten free dessert and a great conversation with Roland! We really liked the vibe in this part of Jeddah- very lively, lots of people, but not crowded.

Shangri-La Jeddah

We considered staying here and came to check it out. There is a nice rooftop pool (with no restrictions of allowing only men and kids) and a view from there was not bad- you could see Jeddah F1 race track. But overall we found our hotel much more impressive.

Al-Balad

Al-Balad is also known as the Old Jeddah, or Jeddah Historic District. If there is one thing to visit in Jeddah, this should be a top priority.

To get the most out of our visit we hired a guide with a walking tour which we booked through Viator. We knew it will be a local woman guide and Ferial was amazing!

Traditional Hijazi houses are characterized by their wooden Roshan windows and balconies and as our guide explained, each color had it’s significance. Green were related to the agriculture, blue- fisherman’s house, brown- textile. It was easy to find, especially when there was not a street address available!

We walked into a few cafes with a traditional furniture, there was no pressure to buy anything, this was just part of the tour.

Al- Balad was fairly quiet when we started the tour, but got more and more busy as the evening approached. Jeddah is definitely a late night city. It seems like it comes alive after sunset.

Al-Balad was found in the 7th century and served as the center of Jeddah. In May 2019, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced a multi-billion dollar restoration of 56 historical buildings in Al-Balad and this district is being restored piece by piece.

As part of the tour we visited Ba’eshen House, which is one of the top historic houses in Jeddah.

The super wealthy family built this six story mansion in the 1800s and they renovated it themselves.

Walking tour was so much better with the guide- she had a lot of details about the history, but also shared her life in Saudi Arabia as a woman. Luckily her husband is open minded and modern- they both finished their MBAs in Los Angeles. He does not demand her to walk around covered up, has no issue with her giving tours after her work at the university and overall it sounds like she lives a very good life. However, her immediate family is very traditional, so when she goes back home, she is fully covered and they do not really know about this part of her life as a guide.

We visited Al Shafee Mosque– where women can see the main prayer hall as long as they are with a tour guide, but you need to cover up the head.

Parts of this mosque dates back to 1400 years ago, while the most of the building is from the 16th century. Even during prayer time this mosque was open for visitors.

We really enjoyed the tour and this Al- Balad. A maze of charming streets, string lights, super clean- you could spend hours here wandering around. But there are two more museums to visit!

Nassif House Museum had a small line, but it moved quick. Only the first floor was open to visitors, so it was pretty quick in and out. Nassif House was constructed in the late 1800s for Omar Nasseef Efendi, who was the governor of Jeddah at that time and has served as a museum and cultural center since 2009.

The Nassif House is also called “The House with the Tree” because it opens onto a square, where there is a neem tree which used to be somewhat of a rarity and this was the only one in Jeddah up until the 1920s. The main stairway is straight and with the small steps- they say that camels and donkeys used to walk up these stairs carrying heavy loads to the kitchen.

Tariq Abdulhakim Center was our last stop with the wonderful guide.

Tariq Abdel-Hakim was a well known Saudi Arabian musician that was dedicated to preserving cultural heritage. This museum has exhibitions of his instruments, you can listen to some of this performances and there is an interactive instruments room. We did not show many talents there unfortunately. It was very cool to play with the world’s first laser quanoon though!

In between the museums we went to a few shops (with no pressure to buy) and had some snacks as well.

We checked out wood work shop and took a selfie in the big mirror resting on the wall. It was a small group tour- our Saudi guide, a couple from Romania, another American that works in Pakistan and us.

Because of the snacks that the group had were not gluten free, our guide brought us to another restaurant- Hijazhouse, at the end of the tour. It had a nice rooftop and we tried some local food with chickpeas and liver. It was delicious and normally I am not a fan of liver.

It was an excellent four hours. We walked, we talked, we ate- I would highly recommend this tour and this guide.

We stayed a bit longer in Al- Balad and walked the winding streets, checked out the market and Noug– camel milk and ice cream shop.

Ice cream was delicious! The milk we got flavored- lavender and cardamom. It was ok, but very sweet. It tasted like flavored and sweetened milk.

Super cute kitty was sitting on a chair, so I sat near him. He ended up on my lap and then a local Saudi man came to us with his son. After asking where we are from, he officially announced: “I’d like to inform you that these cats are wild and dirty!” We thanked him for this ‘info’, but the kitty remained on my lap for a bit longer. I’d like to inform that he was for sure not dirty and very sweet.

Does this look like a dirty cat to you? I didn’t think so!

teamLab Borderless Jeddah

We’ve been to teamLab Planets in Tokyo, but did not have time to visit the teamLabBorderless. As we saw that there is one right near the Old Jeddah, we could not pass the opportunity! It is the first teamLab Borderless in Middle East and it opened just in June of 2024.

It is MASSIVE. Also, I believe it’s open until 2am! We came at 11pm and as tired as we were, we had a great time!

Some of the exhibits reminded us a bit of the teamLab Planets, but it was a lot more of the digital art and no stepping in water. Combine this with the visit to Al-Balad for a perfect day in Jeddah!

Oia Beach Club

Completely unplanned and unexpected, but on our last day in Jeddah we swam in the warm and crystal clear Red Sea!

Since the arrival to Saudi Arabia we were a bit sad that being in such a warm climate we can’t enjoy the pool together or end the trip by the beach. The Hotel did tell us about a couple of beach clubs, but their reviews were terrible, so we kind of abandoned that thought.

However, after talking to the local girl in Sara cafe, everything changed. She told us about the Oia Beach club and we made reservations for the following day.

Actually, reviews are bad for this one as well. But most of the people complain about service (we had absolutely amazing service here). And some complain that people don’t respect the faith and are not covered up here! Well that is definitely not an issue for us.

The place is not cheap- $80 USD pp to be able to go to a private beach (it did come with chairs, umbrella and towels), but it was totally worth it. You can wear a bikini, there is a no photo (unless staff takes pictures) policy. Whenever we took a picture we made sure no other people are in it. It was clean, we could use the shower after and it was simply a magical way to end the trip.

We soaked up some sun, enjoyed the warm swim, ate good food and relaxed until the very last minute. We brought our luggage with us and the staff safely stored it for the day. All that was left was an Uber to the airport and the long travel back to the cold. Jeddah, you’ve been good to us! Like a true “Bride of the Red Sea!”

CONCLUSION

Just as I said at the start of this post, we came with hesitation. We were not sure what to expect, had no real idea of what life in Saudi Arabia is like. We were leaving with a very positive impression. People were kind and nice to us. Weather was great. Food was delicious. Cats were fed and happy. Of course, does the country have ways to go for women rights equality? Yes it does. Should we have to pay almost $100 per person to be able to swim in the Red Sea? No. But the country is changing towards the more open and tourist welcoming approach. There is so much to do, see, and experience. Would we come back to KSA? If the changes continue towards the direction as it’s going now- absolutely YES!