What to See in Jeddah - Top Sights and Attractions

The Jeddah Corniche, also known as the Jeddah Waterfront, is a 30 km coastal resort area of the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Located along the Red Sea, the corniche features a coastal road, recreation areas, pavilions and large-scale civic sculptures as well as King Fahd's Fountain, the highest fountain in the world. Also located here is the Al-Rahmah Mosque, which is a popular attraction to visitors.

The Jeddah Corniche derives its name from the original French and Italian term for a coastal road, especially a road along the face of a cliff.

In November 2017, the waterfront was inaugurated for visitors with the goal of being a tourist attraction in the city. It was launched as a response to a royal decree with the aim of improving the public facilities of the city of Jeddah. The established area is equipped with many facilities including restaurants, retail outlets, hotels, aquarium, cultural centre, water dancing fountain, blossoming gardens and fountains.^[2]

Street in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Tahlia Street is a fashion and shopping street in the mid-town of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The street contains many upscale department shops, and boutiques, such as Prada, Gucci, Versace, Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani. As the Champs-Élysées is for Paris, Tahlia Street is believed to be the heart of Jeddah and Saudi Arabia's wealthiest district.

This commercial street is the destination of soccer fans, who drive up and down waving club scarves and sounding their car horns to celebrate victory.

An identically named street in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Street, has been nicknamed Tahlia Street by the residents as it coincidentally shares many similarities with the original Tahlia Street in Jeddah.^[3]

Cultural landmark in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Jeddah Flagpole is a flagpole in King Abdullah Square in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Standing 171 metres high, it was the tallest flagpole in the world from 23 September 2014 until 26 December 2021, when a flagpole in Egypt was erected at a height of 201.952 m.

The cylindrical flagpole was built of 500 tons of steel in September 2014 by the Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiative and Al-Babtain Power & Telecom. The flagpole sections were lifted into place by a Liebherr LR 1750 crawler crane with a 182-meter boom operated by Gulf Haulage and Heavy Lift Company.

The flagpole broke the previous height record held by Dushanbe Flagpole in Tajikistan, which is 165 metres (541 ft) tall. Record holders previous to the Dushanbe flagpole included the 162-metre (531 ft) National Flagpole in Azerbaijan and the 160-metre (520 ft) Panmunjeom Flagpole of Kijŏng-dong in North Korea.

A Saudi Arabian flag, 49.5 metres (162 ft) by 33 metres (108 ft) and weighing 570 kilograms (1,260 lb), was raised for the first time on 23 September 2014, the National Day of Saudi Arabia.

The Jeddah Flagpole is located in the center of King Abdullah Square, surrounded by 13 lights that represent the 13 governorates of Saudi Arabia. The 26,000-square-meter park, also known as "Custodian of Two Holy Mosques Square", is located next to Jeddah's North Corniche. One-third covered with plants, it represents the two swords and palm tree, the emblem of Saudi Arabia.^[8]

Apartment building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Lamar Towers are a pair of skyscrapers currently under construction in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Located on Jeddah Corniche, Tower 1 will be 321.6 m tall with 72 floors above ground, and Tower 2 will be 300 m tall with 62 floors above ground.

The proposal for the project was submitted by Cayan in 2008 and was approved in the same year. Construction began in 2008 and, when completed in 2016, Tower 1 will be the tallest building in Jeddah, till date, surpassing the recently completed National Commercial Bank. The development is expected to cost about $600 million. The tower was designed by Saudi Diyar Consultants. The Construction Management Service is by MIDRAR. The Lamar company is the main developer of the project and Drake & Scull Construction are the main contractors for this landmark development.

The holding company has declared bankruptcy and construction on the building has stopped. There are many civil suits against the company for property sold in these buildings.

Lamar is Arabic for liquid gold, which describes the reflection of the golden glass in the waters of the Red Sea.^[9]