The ostentatious city of Jeddah, the main entry point to Saudi Arabia, is more cosmopolitan than Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. This magnificent modern metropolis has magnificent seven-star palace hotels, colorful bazaars, and wide boulevards surrounding Balad, the ancient central city filled with mysterious medieval buildings built from the corals of the Red Sea.
Jeddah has a dry climate and; unlike other Saudi Arabian cities, it maintains its warm weather in the winter months from November to February. In the summer, the temperature sometimes rises above 40°C in the afternoons and is around 30°C in the morning and evening. In the winter, the temperature ranges between 15°C and 28°C. Dust storms might occur due to the deserts in the Arabian Peninsula or North Africa. There is rare precipitation even in the winter.
Although the restaurants and shopping malls in Jeddah attract the visitors conveniently, perhaps one of the too good places to miss in Jeddah is the King Fahd Fountain in the harbor. To learn about Jeddah's history, you should visit the Al-Tayibat City Museum for International Civilization, which has more than 300 rooms exhibiting fascinating artifacts ranging from beautiful Islamic manuscripts to ancient pottery and furniture.
Souk Al Alawi, which is the largest bazaar in Jeddah, is a fascinating place to visit even if you will not buy anything. The narrow streets of the bazaar are full of goods, and it is especially crowded during the Hajj (pilgrimage) season. Another market worth seeing is the Al Balad Fish Market, where dozens of species, from hammerhead sharks to squid, are auctioned between 5 am and 9 am. Travelers who want to see a different side of Jeddah can discover the abundant marine life in the Red Sea. Due to many stunning coral reef systems and shipwrecks in the sea, scuba diving is a popular activity in Jeddah.
