Resort Intel: Jeddah thrives as Saudi resort metropolis

Article content material

The breezy, picturesque Corniche runs for 30 kilometres alongside an impressive seashore that’s lined with extravagant condos and resort lodges.

Is it Miami Seaside? Or maybe Santa Monica. Possibly Cannes on the French Riviera.

Article content material

It’s not one of the above. That is Jeddah, an interesting metropolis of almost 5 million positioned on the recent, sunny coast of the Pink Sea within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For those who look past the swaying palm bushes, the promenade and the pier, you’ll discover the variations that make this a resort metropolis, Saudi type.

Article content material

Clothes stands out. You aren’t prone to see brief shorts and camisoles. Guests normally put on free, covered-up apparel, respecting Muslim values of modest clothes. Many locals are cloaked head-to-toe in lengthy, conventional robes. It’s normally white thobe for males and black abaya for ladies, however with Barbie enjoying at Jeddah’s AMC’s cinema, there’s a blooming of vivid pink.

Alongside Jeddah’s waterfront, minarets ring out 5 instances day by day for Islamic worship and everybody stops picnicking and enjoying soccer to seize a prayer mat from a beachside bin. For refreshments, the fast-food kiosks dish out turkey scorching canines — Muslims don’t eat pork — and “a chilly one” refers to iced espresso, not beer, in a rustic that doesn’t serve alcohol.

Within the information: Saudi Arabia’s media protection internationally has been about human rights and petro energy, however the once-closed Kingdom is also more and more within the highlight for its meteoric progress in leisure, structure and particularly tourism. Beefing up its connection to Canada, Saudia, the nationwide airline, will fly Boing 787 Dreamliners six instances weekly between Jeddah and Toronto, beginning on Dec 2.

Article content material

Article content material

“The world within the Nineteen Twenties got here to Saudi for oil, now the world will come within the 2020s for tourism. Tourism is the brand new oil,” Saudi Tourism Authority CEO Fahd Hamidaddin informed a convention just lately.

The thrill has been constructing for a couple of decade. In 2023, a documentary about The Line, a futuristic mega-city being constructed within the northwest, aired on the Discovery Channel and YouTube. In  2022, CN Traveler (Condé Nast) dished a couple of cruise on the Pink Sea and Bloomberg Information introduced: “Saudi Arabia’s Booming and This Time It Isn’t Solely About Oil.“  In 2019, the Wall Avenue Journal heralded the UNESCO World Heritage website of Hegra.

What was I doing there? I attended a significant convention of the World Journey & Tourism Council (WTTC) within the nation’s capital, Riyadh, and took a facet jaunt to Jeddah for a take a look at leisure.

Jeddah: Balancing Islamic rules and fashionable mores, Saudi Arabia is a land of contrasts. You’ll discover old-school desert competitions like falconry and camel racing in addition to the glamorous, high-octane Saudi Arabian Grand Prix System I. LIV Golf virtually dominates the professional tour, partly on account of CEO Greg Norman and rivals Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia.

Article content material

Guests to Jeddah embrace pilgrims heading for Mecca and occasion individuals going to the annual Worldwide Pink Sea Movie Competition, which has screened LGBTQ+ films and welcomed Oliver Stone, Man Ritchie, Spike Lee, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sharon Stone. The subsequent occasion will likely be Nov.-Dec., 2023.

Initially developed as a fishing village and a industrial seaport, Jeddah has morphed right into a resort city. Households flock right here for the seaside air and the made-for-kids sights just like the Al Shallal Theme Park, the Fakieh Aquarium and the Kids’s Water Park.

Some only-in-Jeddah sights embrace the spectacular Al Rahma mosque, a.ok.a. the Floating Mosque, and the Al Jazeera Waterfront Mosque; Al Balad, the UNESCO World Heritage Web site of classic homes; and the charming King Fahd Fountain, with a jet attain of 260 metres, the very best anyplace in accordance with Guinness World Information.

Lodges: Jeddah has ‘em all, together with Ritz-Carlton, Radisson Blu, Rosewood, Shangri-La, InterContinental and the upcoming Version (an upscale Marriott model), which will likely be a classy getaway going through the Jeddah Yacht Membership & Marina and the System 1 racetrack. A brand new 4 Seasons in all probability will anchor the residential industrial advanced within the upcoming Jeddah Tower, poised to develop into the world’s tallest construction at greater than 1,000 metres excessive.

For those who’re wanting ahead to swimming in a scorching local weather, be aware that many lodges with swimming pools, such because the Ritz-Carlton Jeddah, reserve this amenity for males, or break up the hours between women and men. Some institutions have two swimming pools and infrequently the ladies’s swimming pools are indoors for privateness.

The Venue Jeddah Corniche is a well-liked household lodge, with buffet meals and a seafood night time, in addition to Mediterranean, Arabic and Asian meals. The Venue has separate spas and separate swimming pools for ladies (indoors) and males (outside).

The neighbouring Jeddah Hilton and Waldorf Astoria Jeddah – Qasr Al Sharq (Palace of the East) share an outside pool for males; and girls have an indoor pool on the Waldorf Astoria Spa.

For those who go

Saudi tourism: visitsaudi.com. Saudia flights: saudia.com

World Journey & Tourism Council: wttc.org.

[email protected]

Article content material

Article content material