Jeddah Activities

While the heat can be exhausting for some children, there are plenty of suitable activities for children in Jeddah. The most popular manmade attractions include Al-Shallal Theme Park and Sail Island, operated by the same organization, which offer water features, entertainment and rides.

Al-Shallal Theme Park
Also known as ‘Fakieh Poultry Farms’, which refers to the owners of the park, Al-Shallal Theme Park is one of the city’s most popular attractions for children. Here you will find everything from a double looped rollercoaster to an Olympic-sized ice rink as well as various themed areas.

Camels
In the same way that kangaroos are a popular attraction in Australia, camels attract an equal amount of tourist attention in Saudi Arabia. With Jeddah being surrounded by desert, this is the perfect place to try your hand at camel riding, with children especially enjoying the opportunity to sit on a camel and have their photo taken.

Sail Island
Sail Island, a children’s water entertainment area, first opened in 2001, it takes its name from the 24 meter high sails that cover a large pool and seating area. Situated on the cornice of Jeddah, on the Red Sea coast, the park contains an extensive food court, a performance venue, children’s play areas, large swimming pools and outdoor seating areas. The park has excellent parking facilities.

As Saudi Arabia’s largest port, the city of Jeddah has been open to numerous foreign influences over the centuries, which has helped to shape the cosmopolitan city of today. Known as being a centre of art and learning, this heritage is evident in the city’s artworks and museums.

Ardha
This is the name of the country’s national dance, and experiencing a performance featuring this folk dance should feature on every visitor’s itinerary. The dance incorporates swords and follows the beat of drums while a poet chants rhymes. It originated in Arab Andalusia, a region of medieval Spain, and performed by men only. Make sure you catch a performance in Jeddah

Historical Houses of Balad
One of the most pleasurable places to walk through in the city is the old district, known as Balad. Here you will find some impressive, well-preserved historical houses and an atmosphere that will send you back in time. Biet Nassif is one of the more impressive buildings, situated near Souk Al Alawi. The house was restored in the 1990s and now houses a cultural centre. This building, along with others in the area, is now protected in a governmental effort to preserve this historic district. Typical features of the buildings are rectangular mud bricks or cut stones, walls with latticed wooden poles placed horizontally and latticed and carved woodwork windows.

Municipality Museum
Situated opposite the National Commercial Bank headquarters in the old city, this is just one of Jeddah’s many museums that preserve precious artefacts from the city’s past. The building the museum is housed in was once occupied by the British Legation during WWI and it dates back 200 years. Inside the museum you will find photographs of Jeddah through the ages as well as rooms decked out in traditional Saudi style. Visitors need a permit to visit the museum, which can be easily arranged, and they should make an appointment with the curator in advance.

Open-Air Art
Jeddah is unique in the fact that is probably Saudi Arabia’s most artistic city, which has an array of bizarre sculptures and modern artworks dotted along the coastal area known as the Corniche. These landmarks are like an open-air museum and are a result of the post-1980s oil boom focus on revitalising Jeddah’s public areas. Artists who feature work in the city include: Jean Arp, Cesar, Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, Joan Miró and Victor Vasarely. Among some of the more famous pieces includes a square block of marble with several cars protruding out of it at odd angles and a giant bicycle.

Tallest Fountain in the World
Located on the Corniche, on Falistine Street, this impressive fountain only comes alive at night. The water seemingly shoots up to reach the clouds and is stunning against the Saudi sunset. A curtain of vapour from the water is floodlit at night, creating a white spotlight that makes for some good photos. Also known as King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Fountain, having been opened by the king himself, the fountain bears resemblance to the one found in Geneva, Switzerland.

Those who have never experienced an Arabian market will be in for a real treat in Jeddah. One of the big marketplaces is in Balad, where you will find Souq Al Nada, showcasing gold and silver ornaments; Souq Al Jamia, the city’s primary textile market; Souq Al Alawi, which cuts right across this district from east to west; and Gabel Street Souq, which has everything from spices to electronics, perfumes, dates, honey and household items.

If it is a more modern shopping experience you are after, you won’t disappointed. Jeddah is packed with lavish shopping malls including Jeddah Mall, Tahlya, Le Mall and Heraa Mall.

Popular souvenir items to pick up in Jeddah include locally-grown dates, religious paraphernalia, copies of the Holy Quran and zam zam water. Carpets are also a popular purchase, with most being imported from Iran.

Those with western taste buds may find the Saudi cuisine a bit more difficult to get accustomed to, but this shouldn’t discourage visitors from trying as many authentic dishes as they can. However, those who crave international cuisine can rest easy here, with an enormous selection of western restaurants and coffee houses on offer. All the big international chains are represented here including American franchises such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Dunkin' Donuts.

As a strict Islamic country, alcohol is forbidden and you will not find any bars or restaurants serving alcoholic beverages in Jeddah. A tasty drink known as ‘Saudi champagne’ makes a good substitute, a combination of apple juice and soda water. In addition to no alcohol, you will also find no pork, another strictly forbidden commodity.

Those who indulge in Arabic dining during their stay will get the opportunity to try khobz, a type of unleavened bread, which is eaten with most meals. You will also find plenty of lamb and chicken-based dishes, falafel, shawarma (spit-cooked sliced lamb) and fuul (a paste of fava beans, garlic and lemon).

Meals are often polished off with a strong Arabic coffee, either at the restaurant or at a traditional coffee house. Arabic tea is also hugely popular and comes black in various herbal flavorings.

The city is situated right on the Red Sea coast, meaning visitors to Jeddah have easy access to the abundant sea life of these Arabian waters. The city’s beaches provide all manner of water sports, while inner-city team sports, particularly football, are also well played.

Beaches
The city’s beaches provide the perfect setting for outdoor activities, with residents’ favourites being Durat Alarous, Alremal, Shums, Bait Albahar, Salhia, Family Cabins and Alnakil. The Red Sea is refreshingly cool when compared to outside temperatures and the marine life of in its waters and many offshore coral reefs is outstanding. All the usual water sports are available along the coast including diving, snorkelling, windsurfing and jet-skiing.

Team Sports
Team sports are commonly played by Saudis including soccer, volleyball and basketball. The country has participated in many world games such as the summer Olympics and the national football team has previously qualified in the FIFA World Cup and the Asian Cup, the latter of which was won by Saudi Arabia three times.