Tall Building & Ferris Wheel

Sorry I don't know anything about this lovely high rise building in Jeddah.  The ferris wheel next door is one of many seen around the city.  Family amusement parks are everywhere. 

Dunkin' Donuts in Arabic

One thing I get a kick out of here in Saudi Arabia is seeing the Arabic version of well known business logos. 

Popular Saudi King

King Abdullah has been a very popular, respected, fair and beloved king of Saudi Arabia.   He is 88 years old now and became the 6th king of Saudi Arabia in 2005.  For the ten years prior to that, he was in fact the de facto ruler of the kingdom when he assumed the position after ruling King Fahd (his half brother) suffered a debilitating stroke.  He has served his country all his life and his first official public appointment was as Mayor of Makkah in 1961.  An official title of the king is "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques."

While the rest of the world may view social progress in the kingdom as extraordinarily slow, King Abdullah is known as a champion of women's rights.  I have been quite amazed at the progress just in the short time I have lived here since 2007.  Despite health concerns and amid false reports of his death, the king persists in his goal to give women the opportunities they have long been denied in this society. 

King Abdullah's photo can be seen in this country everywhere - on buildings, businesses, billboards, and vehicles. 

Jeddah Orchid Hotel

This is the Jeddah Orchid Hotel on Madinah Road in Jeddah. 

Gorgeous Necklace

Jewelry shops abound here in Jeddah.  The gold souks are amazing, but there are plenty of costume jewelry shops too.  Saudi women dress to the nines for weddings and a necklace like the one shown here is very typical of the type of jewelry that might be worn to such an event.  Sorry I wasn't able to check the price of this beauty, as the shop was closed for prayers at the time. 

"Australia" - CDP Theme Day

City Daily Photo is an online community of photo bloggers from around the world, sharing the wonders of their area of the world pictorially with others.  Each month there are different themes that CDP members can participate in.  This month's theme is "Australia Day," so even though I don't live in Australia, we CPD members are invited to post about the land down under. 

The above photo was taken at an animal park outside of Sydney in 1988 when I was in the travel business.  I have been lucky enough to have visited Australia three times.  I absolutely adore Australia.  I also enjoy taking amusing photos!

Please visit the CDP portal to view other participants' entries for today's theme day about Australia. 

SkyWatch: Cloudy End of Day

Sorry if I'm boring you with my rooftop sunset photos.  I'm not often out at sunset (due to prayer time), and since we moved to this new building we're in and I have rooftop access, I've taken to enjoying the sunsets from my perch on the roof. 



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Giant Incense Burner on Rooftop

In many places around Jeddah I have seen enormous incense burners, which are approximately 4.5 feet in height.  Mostly I've seen them outside businesses, and oftentimes there are smaller incense burners sitting on top of them burning incense.  I'm not sure of the exact origins of these huge incense burners, but I have seen them frequently.  Normal sized incense burners are avalable everywhere here and are often made quite elaborately, sometimes in heavy crystal, wood, or metal.  The burner in this photo (left of the satellite dish, lower center) is actually on top of the roof of a building.  I remember seeing another huge incense burner on top of another building a while back.

To give you an idea of the sheer size of these larger incense burners, please see these previous posts of mine:  Super Sized Incense Burner and Incense on the Street.  

Fakieh Aquarium Mural on Corniche

The Corniche running along Jeddah's Red Sea coastline has a brand new attraction - the long awaited Fakieh Aquarium.  The grand opening was held on January 21 with a large crowd in attendance.  The aquarium houses over "7,000 marine animals of 200 species in 155 tanks and can accommodate 400 visitors" at one time.  The large mural above appears on an outer wall of the facility. 

For more information, please click HERE. 

Lovely Jeddah Villa

This is another typical villa in Jeddah.  This one is rather unusual because of its darker color.  Most villas are white here or a light color.  I think this one looks quite nice though despite its darker color.  I also like the greenery. 

Spice Up Your Life

Spices, nuts, seeds, and beans are often sold in bulk or in separate shops or dedicated areas of larger stores.  An employee will package up your order.  These grocery items are much cheaper here in Saudi Arabia than in the states. 

Typical Jeddah Villa

Private dwellings in Jeddah are all surrounded by high walls for privacy.  Some villas have private courtyards so the residents can enjoy being outdoors, but many have very little outdoor space because the villa itself occupies so much of the land area. 

Jeddah's American Corner Restaurant

The American Corner Restaurant in Jeddah dishes up a typical American menu.  This branch is on Sultan Road, and there is a second branch on Rawdah Street.  The prices are reasonable and the food is adequate but nothing to rave about. 

SkyWatch: Modern Architecture in Jeddah

Jeddah has quite an eclectic mix of architectural styles.  There are many ultra modern colored glass buildings that seem to be one-of-a-kind designs. 

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Jeddah's Del Arte Restaurant

Del Arte Restaurant is an Italian family eatery located on Sultan Road in Jeddah.  We haven't tried it yet, but I really like the building. 

Jeddah's Space Mall Interior

This is just one small section of a huge open are filled with row after row of racks of clothing.  All in all, it's very overwhelming,  This mall was originally built as "Chinatown" and indeed it looks very Asian on the outside.  To see an exterior shot of this mall, please click here.

I don't what exactly happened, but now it is called "Space Mall."

Our World: Magic Carpet Sculpture

There is a large traffic island in Jeddah which houses many whimsical public art sculptures. This one is a large flying magic carpet that sports a funny looking automobile riding it. The street it's on runs parallel to the nearby Corniche, where many more of Jeddah's sculptures are located.



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Typical Saudi Teacup Set

Saudis are very gracious hosts and delight in serving drinks and sweets to house guests.  Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in Saudi Arabia, so drinks served range from the largest variety of fruit juices one could imagine to tea or gahwa (Arabic coffee).  Hot drinks would be served in tiny glasses like shown here.  This teacup set cost 302 SR, or about $ 80 US. 

Magic Lamp Sculpture

Yet another whimsical sculpture in Jeddah, this magic lamp always catches my eye when I pass by its location in the middle of a large traffic island.

White Camel Table Base

I saw this ceramic table base in a gift shop here in Jeddah and I thought it was cute.  It is a white decorated camel and would make a nice end table if equipped with a piece of glass on top.  I'm not sure if the glass is included or not, but the price on the camel is 1195 SR, which is about $ 320 US.

SkyWatch: Pretty Clouds at Sunset

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Bracelets in Mall Shop

Like everywhere in the world, jewelry is very popular with Saudi women.  These bracelets caught my eye recently at a local mall. 

Construction Tools Sculptures

Here are two more whimsical sculptures in the middle of a large traffic island in Jeddah.  These are giant work tools - a saw and a wrench. 

Our World: Birthday Cake Sculpture

This is another of the whimsical sculptures of Jeddah - a birthday cake with a candle.  It is located on the traffic island of Prince Faisal bin Fahd Road, where several other of Jeddah's sculptures can be found. 

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Hello Kitty Shop at Red Sea Mall

The Red Sea Mall is one of the largest and most popular malls in Jeddah.  This is the Hello Kitty store, called Sanrio, where every item in the store is a Hello Kitty product. 

Gap in Arabic

Another worldwide chain store, Gap, is located in several malls in Jeddah. 

White Discs Fountain

Another modernistic sculpture in Jeddah's collection of public art, this formation of linked white discs in descending sizes makes for an interesting view from various angles. 

SkyWatch: Sky Drama

Taken from my rooftop recently as the day was winding down, the clouds created beautiful drama in the sky.  December and January are considered the rainy season here in Jeddah, but rain rarely falls.



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Unusual Seashell Minaret Sculpture

This is one of the more unusual and intriguing public art sculptures of the city of Jeddah.  It appears to be a minaret  decorated with open seashells.  The photo only shows the top half of the sculpture.  Below is the sculpture including the colorful mosaic base, which is also adorned with a seashell.

Jeddah's Paul Restaurant

"Paul" is a lovely French restaurant in the heart of Jeddah and part of the worldwide chain of Paul Restaurants.  The interior oozes Old World elegance and charm and makes one feel about as far away from Saudi Arabia as one can imagine.  Paul offers freshly baked goods, such as delectable croissants, breads, and desserts.  The popular cafe is located off of Tahliya Street next to the Sands Hotel and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 8am-12 midnite.  Phone 02-667-1633.

Giant Faucet Sculpture

Happy New Year!  I thought I would start off the new year with some photos I have taken recently of some of the sculptures of Jeddah that I haven't shown you yet.  This one is of a gigantic sized water faucet.  Many of Jeddah's public works of art are of a whimsical nature and many are blown up versions of objects much smaller, such as this one.  I have no idea who the artist is.  To see more of the awesome "Sculptures of Jeddah," please click on the tab just below my header at the top of this page.