Jeddah Rooftop City View at Night

Buildings resembling birthday cakes, my rooftop view at night in Jeddah.

Our World: Jeddah Villa with Privacy Wall

This is a shot of a very typical single family villa of Jeddah.  All villas completely enclosed by tall walls.  Many walls have upward extensions for additional privacy from neighboring buildings, as you can see here on the left.




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Jeddah Driver Danger

I see dangerous things like this all the time here in Saudi Arabia, in addition to boys too young to have a drivers license driving.

Jeddah Shop and Customer

This is a very typical Saudi scene of a shop with a traditionally dressed man.  He wears the white long dress (called thobe) and the red and white checked headscarf (called shemagh).

Jeddah Rooftop Garden

Today's post shows a rather ordinary white building with a rooftop garden - and of course satellite dishes.

SkyWatch: Jeddah Pointed Villa Gate

Some villa entrances here in Jeddah make quite a statement, like this heavy pointed one.



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Jeddah Unusual Entrance

I see some rather strange looking structures at times here in Jeddah and today's post features one of them.  I really don't believe this unusual structure actually leads to anything.  Maybe it's a small storage room or something.  I just don't know.  

Jeddah Mosque with Golden Dome

This newer modern mosque features a large golden dome above the main building and a smaller golden dome at the top of its minaret.

This shot from a different angle was taken on a different day as well.  

Our World: Jeddah Purple Neon Reflection

This purple neon lit up building in Jeddah is highly visible at night.

And just look how that neon reflects upon this nearby glass building!




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Jeddah: Typical Apartment Building

This is a typical apartment building in a residential neighborhood of Jeddah.

Jeddah: Architectural Mix

A hodgepodge of design elements at play here which makes the building look like two or three different buildings.  Notice the "VIP" on the door at the lower right.

Jeddah Sculpture Magic Carpet Ride

This is one of Jeddah's more whimsical sculptures which I call The Magic Carpet Ride.

It's difficult to get a good shot of this sculpture as it is located in the middle of a traffic circle.

SkyWatch: Jeddah Gas Station Sculpture

Jeddah is known for its abundance of public art sculptures which can be seen all over the city. Sometimes businesses like to get in on the action too.  This gas station has a globe sculpture atop the roof over the pumping stations.  There are several other globes and maps sculptures that can be found around Jeddah.


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Jeddah's Elaf Hotel

This is the beautiful modern blue glass Elaf Jeddah Hotel, adjacent to Red Sea Mall.

Jeddah: Businesses and Signs

More colorful business signs here in Jeddah!

Our World: Modestly Dressed Dolls

I had been on the lookout for dolls dressed in abayas and scarves, as I hadn't seen them in a few years, so when I stumbled upon the motherlode at a local shop, I purchased several.  The dolls above are named Rahma and she is dressed modestly.  They are larger than a Barbie doll and aren't shaped like Barbies either.

The doll above is the Barbie-like Fulla doll.  Fulla is Islam's answer to the Barbie doll.  Here she wears an abaya (the black cloak) and a head scarf (hijab).

These Fulla dolls have colored scarves.  The one in the white jacket is meant to be a modestly dressed working woman.  The Fulla doll on the right in the striped skirt is dressed as she would be when not out in public.

This shop had a whole section of one wall stocked in these Islamically correct dolls.  They had a great selection.




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Jeddah Out of Focus Spaceship Building

I hope you are enjoying my "Out of Focus" series of photos this month.  I have photographed this shopping strip mall many times.  I love how the lights on this building make it appear like a spaceship to me.  Even though it's out of focus, you can still make out the English writing and the Arabic script identifying the shops.  

Jeddah Out of Focus Mall Scene

Here in Saudi Arabia, photography in public is something one must be cautious with, especially when Saudi women are involved.  While social media has helped bring this country into the modern world in regards to acceptance of photography, laws here require permission from people who are photographed.  Even though this photo is really out of focus, I like that we can still make out the women dressed in black and the man wearing the traditional men's dress.

Jeddah: Out of Focus Pulse of City

Jeddah comes alive at night with otherwise drab buildings outlined in brightly colored neon.   This is the last of this month's series called "Out of Focus."  I hope you have enjoyed it!

SkyWatch: Out of Focus Villa

This is another in my "Out of Focus" series.  Even though it's not in focus, I love how the open gate reveals a little of what is inside this walled villa and that it's a little more in focus than the rest of the photo.  Another pic shot at the end of the day when the sky glows before retreating into darkness.


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Jeddah: Out of Focus Nightlife

In my continuing series of "Out of Focus" photos, this one is not only out of focus but it's rather tilted as well.  But I like it!  It gives an accurate feeling of the hustle and bustle of the heavy traffic and nightlife of Jeddah.  

Jeddah: Out of Focus Coffee Shop

Another offering for my "Out of Focus" series this month, this photo is of a coffee cup shaped mini coffee shop which is part of a chain here in Jeddah.   

Our World: Out of Focus Minarets

I'm stumped with this photo, which is a selection from my series this month called "Out of Focus." The lighted mosque minarets are the main attraction of this pic, but the backward text saying "Photography" seemingly written across the sky is a mystery.  It must be a reflection on the car windshield or something.  But at any rate, it really adds an interesting effect.  This photo is totally straight out of the camera.




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. 

Jeddah: Out of Focus Building

Another of my series this month of Out of Focus photos - Many buildings here in Jeddah at night remind me of birthday cakes - like this one.  What do you think?  

Jeddah: Out of Focus Neon Restaurant

I love the neon lights of Jeddah.  It makes the city come alive at night and hides the dust and drabness of many buildings.  This is the another of my "Out of Focus" series this month.  Hope you are enjoying it.

Out of Focus Jeddah at Dusk

Dusk is one of my favorite times of day to take photos.  I love the way the sky seems to be lit up. This is another "Out of Focus" photo I just couldn't bear to delete.

SkyWatch: Riyadh's Al Faisaliyah, Out of Focus

This "Out of Focus" shot of the Al Faisaliyah Center in Riyadh is one of my favorites, taken at dusk from a moving vehicle.  Currently the 4th tallest building in the Kingdom with 44 floors, this skyscraper is visible from miles around and houses a ground level shopping mall and upper level office space and restaurants.  A unique feature of the building is the golden sphere toward the top.  




To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

Out of Focus Night Scene

I always try taking photos at night here, but so many of them wind up in the trash-bin because they are so out of focus, taken from a car zooming by.  Despite that, I actually like many of the blurry images and see them as artistic.  The lights oftentimes make graceful squiggly lines.  In this pic, I love the purple lights' reflection on the vehicle parked here and I also love how the lamp appears to be over-sized.  Don't know how I did that!

Jeddah: Out of Focus Minaret

I am featuring some of my favorite "Out of Focus" photos this month inspired by City Daily Photo's Theme Day.  I discard so many of my photos because they are out of focus, but there are many that I just can't bear to throw away.  I love this one of a lit up mosque.  I'm not sure what that reddish vertical line to its left is, but it adds some extra interest, as does the light in the sky to the right.  

JDP Theme Day: Out of Focus

At night Saudi Arabia becomes alive with neon.  It's always hard to capture good shots from moving vehicles at night because the lights always smear.  I have a hard time getting rid of those out of focus shots though because I find many of them beautiful and artistic.  This photo features the neon lights of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital city.

Today is the first of the month, which means it's theme day for City Daily Photo bloggers.  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 is a different theme.  This month's theme is "Out of Focus."  I had such a difficult time choosing just one photo for today's theme that I've decided to feature several more out of focus shots over the next few days.

Please visit the City Daily Photo portal to view other participants' entries for today's theme day of "Out of Focus."