It would be a pity to travel to Jeddah without at least a short visit to the Corniche. The waterfront promenade extends over a large part of the city’s coastline and, after its fundamental realignment a few years ago, is one of Jeddah’s most popular attractions. This is especially true of the Middle and Northern Corniche.
In the late afternoon hours, the Corniche starts to become a rendezvous of Jeddah’s population. Families and friends gather to picnic on the spacious lawns or simply to stroll.
The King Fahd fountain off shore – one of the highest in the world – offers a perpetual opportunity to stop and admire the view of the wind-dispersed water jet, especially when the spectacle is illuminated in the evening hours. Some of the street-side fish restaurants offer an elevated view of the fountain while enjoying freshly caught fish.
The Northern Corniche is (as of March 2022) the most modern and elegant part of Jeddah’s waterfront. It complements the sprawling development on the northern edge of the city.
Many hotels of international hotel groups are concentrated on the Northern Corniche. In addition, several high-rise apartment buildings have been built in this part of the Corniche in recent years, whose users can enjoy an unrestricted view of the Red Sea.
King Abdulaziz International Airport is a 20 to 30-minute drive from here. Jeddah’s main business districts in Tahliyah and Al Khalidia are also not very far away by car.
This section of the Corniche extends northwards roughly to the Al-Rahmah Mosque – this fascinating mix of the old architecture and the new was built in 1985 on an area of about 2,400 m2 (25,830 sq ft). Located just opposite the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Formula 1 course, it is a popular spot among tourists and natives looking to lounge by the seaside. Sometimes the mosque is referred to as the Floating Mosque because of it being built above water atop a stack of white concrete stilts – being surrounded by the sea during high tide – it appears as if it were floating. Unfortunately, nowadays the mosque is not accessible for a longer time due to construction works (as of March 2022).
The Middle Corniche incorporates some of the numerous sculptures in Jeddah, including that of artist Maha Mallouh’s sculpture, entitled “Food for Thought” at the Jeddah corniche. This is the first time a sculpture by a Saudi female artist has been installed in Jeddah. Maha Mallouh’s “Food for Thought” sculpture was installed in the middle of the corniche, next to the Al-Anani Mosque.
For more on Jeddah sculptures in public spaces, see the “Art and Culture” chapter. If you want to know more examples of Jeddah’s Corniche, you can do so in my ebook “Dr. Hans-F. Loth – Travel Guide Riyadh and Jeddah”.
