Those who may be in Jeddah for a longer period of time and just want to go to the coast at the weekend and enjoy the sun, sand and sea can find Jeddah’s beach clubs an interesting alternative – whether you are looking for a party location or a child-friendly organisation. In some cases, you can book rooms with overnight accommodation or just buy a day ticket. Many of them offer a private beach, spa, swimming pool, diving centre, restaurant, café and water park for children. The majority of them are located in the long stretch of coast north of the Obhur district, some distance from the city centre. Some are only accessible to members who have to pay a (hefty) annual fee.
There are, of course, also sections of beach that are open to the public free of charge along the northern Corniche, and a further 2 km or so of public beach north of the Aquarium is set to be added as part of the Jeddah Central Development Programme. However, I think that if you’re the typical visitor on a city trip, you’d be better off looking for a hotel with a large swimming pool where you can smoothly relax after your daily excursions.
Among the well-known beach resorts are – without claiming to be complete:
Al Murjan Beach, roughly near the airport and the Red Sea Mall,
Al-Saif Beach in the south of Jeddah
Alexandria Beach at Obhur Bay north of the airport
Silver Sands Beach north ofSharm Obhur
Al Nakhil Beach in Sharm Obhur
Durrat Al Arus Beach in the borough of the same name north of Jeddah
Thuwal Beach many kilometres north of jeddah
Obhur Beaches at Obhur north of the airport.
The Red Sea – home to over 1,200 different species of fish – is a dream destination for water sports enthusiasts. The Red Sea offers numerous water sports activities that you can book either close to the city of Jeddah or a little further afield. It may come as a surprise that there are still untouched reefs, rare marine life and pristine ecosystems on the coast of such a large city. But sunken ships with fascinating stories are also among the stuff of divers’ dreams. You’ll be able to explore all of that in clear water; it ‘s said that visibility in the water is often up to 30 m or more. The average annual temperature of the Red Sea is a pleasant 22 °C to 28 °C. Nevertheless, diving trips are often considered more pleasurable in the months of March to May or September to November due to the warmer temperatures. The popular diving spots are not yet overcrowded with divers and boat tourists.
Those who prefer something a little less sporty but still want to enjoy a breeze from the Red Sea can choose from a variety of boat tours. A sunset boat trip during the golden hour against the city skyline is impressive.
If you’d like to find out more about all this: in my ebook ‘SAUDI ARABIA JEDDAH TAIF AL BAHAH’, available on Apple Books and Amazon Kindle, I’ve listed a few beach clubs and resorts that are affordable. You’ll also find information there on some of the most popular water sports.
