Our World - Jeddah After the Rain

These gentlemen brought chairs while they wait for work after a rare rain in Jeddah.  Tradesmen wait in certain areas to get job for the day.

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.

Saudi Arabia - Street Cleaner

A common sight on the streets of Jeddah are the many imported foreign workers from poorer countries who are brought to Saudi Arabia to clean the streets.  Trashing of the streets is a big problem.  It is done because everyone knows there are street cleaners.  They work amid the extreme heat and dust and the exhaust fumes from thousands of vehicles.  Their jobs are not easy or pleasant and their wages are considered low.  However, they make enough money to support their families back home.

Laborers in Saudi

These men are likely laborers who are waiting for a job to come along.  Most days certain streets are lined with workers looking for jobs.

Our World: Unsafe Work Practises

There are hundreds of iron works shops around Jeddah, all producing things like railings, fences, doors, and window coverings.  It is rare to see workers using any type of safety equipment, like safety goggles or gloves or even proper work shoes. 

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.

Getting Groomed

There is so much new construction going on all over Jeddah. In the northeast area of the city, new roads and buildings are being built at an unbelievably rapid pace. I noticed that very close to the freeway are mobile homes where many of the foreign laborers are being housed. I snapped this photo as we were zooming by and was surprised when I got it back home and up on my computer that I had captured this image of some foreign workers relaxing on their day off. The laundry is drying on the clothesline, and one man is giving another a beard trim. I love capturing slices of life like this.

Our World: Fresh Meat Delivery

I'm continually amazed here in Jeddah when I see the open air meat shops with carcasses hanging in the windows.

But I am astonished on the occasions when I have witnessed the delivery method used to get meat to the market.


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.

Old Jeddah Building

Jeddah was first settled as a small fishing village on the Red Sea in about 500 BC. As the closest seaport to both Mecca and Medina, two of the holiest cities in Islam, Jeddah also became a center of commerce as well as the gateway for those traveling to Mecca for Hajj, the religious pilgrimage required of all Muslims. Since about 1940 after the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah has experienced a tremendous and continuous growth spurt, from an estimated 1950 population of about 30,000 jumping to approximately 3.5 million in 2011. The oldest part of the city is called Al Balad, where many of the buildings are crumbling and are in a sad state of disrepair. Surprisingly enough, many of these buildings are still inhabited by the very poor, most of them foreign workers from nearby underdeveloped countries. Notice the satellite dishes.

Typical Saudi Ceiling

I always look up when I am in a Saudi home because inevitably the ceilings are amazing. Some are recessed with curves or other designs, some have tray ceilings and others have beautifully designed crown moldings. Sometimes there are exquisite chandeliers or recessed lighting. Many ceilings I've seen have incorporated all of these gorgeous details.

Camel Herder

I like to go with my husband when he goes to the camel outposts just outside of the city to purchase fresh camel milk. I enjoy taking photos of the camels and the men who take care of them. The camel herders are mostly from Sudan and live out in the desert among the camels. They lead very simple but hard lives, and they are seemingly happy. I wrote a more detailed post about the life of a camel herder on my other blog, Susie's Big Adventure. CLICK HERE to read it.

Villa With Tiled Exterior

This is the new exterior of an older villa that is being remodeled. It's an interesting choice of tile work - I don't think I've ever seen a design quite like this on a residential property. Although my Saudi husband and I used to enjoy doing DIY projects when we were homeowners in the states, remodeling DIY projects are not something that a Saudi man would normally do himself, merely for the fact that labor is so cheap here. So there are none of those big home improvement stores here like there are in the states, such as Home Depot and Loews.

Waiting for Customers

This is a very typical scene here in Jeddah - idle workers sitting outside shops just waiting for customers.

Brickmaker

Almost every day, brickmakers can be seen out in the hot sun making bricks. Their lot is right next door to the Mall of Arabia, a beautiful modern high end mall that I have featured on this blog many times. I've tried to get my husband to stop so I can find out more about the process, but so far, no luck with that!

Tiling Building Exterior

I have featured many photos of hard laborers on this blog. These workers come from a variety of poor Asian and African countries, like Bangladesh, India, and Yemen. They come here to Saudi Arabia because they can earn a lot more money here than they can in their own countries, enough to provide well for their families back home, even though it may not sound like much money to people from more affluent countries. Many of these hard workers are frequently treated like second class citizens. They work long hours in the hot blazing sun and oftentimes perform dangerous jobs, without any consideration given to their safety. This type of back breaking and dangerous labor is never done by Saudi men.

Fruit Vendors in the Street

Street vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables are seen all over the city every day selling their wares.

Sometimes they position themselves right outside supermarkets. They do a good business.

Their products are generally fresh and inexpensive. My husband likes to haggle with them over the prices, but he will generally give them what they asked for in the first place even if they've agreed to a lower price, as long as he thinks the price is reasonable.

Hovel

Just across the street from a beautiful high end mall in Jeddah are hovels like this one where poor expat laborers live. The stark contrast upon exiting the mall and seeing how some people in the world live is quite mind blowing.

SkyWatch: Industrial Area Mosque Minaret

Since Muslims are required to pray five times a day, there are mosques located everywhere in Saudi Arabia. It is safe to say that there is a mosque within a short walking distance from almost any place in Jeddah. There are smaller funky mosques located in the industrial areas of the city for lower level foreign workers to use. Mosques are easily identifiable by their minarets.

I'm intrigued by mosque minarets and love to take photos of them. They all have their own certain charm.

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.

Slice of Life

A candid shot of a conversation outside an upholstery shop here in Jeddah. Notice what the man on the left is sitting on. It is common here to see discarded pieces of furniture used as outdoor seating. This wouldn't work as well in a rainy climate, but eventually the heat and dust too must take their toll.

Breaktime in the Shade

Sometimes shade is hard to find here in Saudi Arabia, and it can be brutally hot standing out in the sun. Foreign workers often find shady spots underneath large vehicles or equipment to take a respite from the blazing sun.

Our World: Adding On

It is common for additions to existing buildings in Jeddah to be built upwards, adding on more floors as it becomes affordable to the building’s owner.

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.

SkyWatch: In the Ghetto

Jeddah is a modern city with lots of new construction everywhere, but the city also has some very old and rundown areas as well. Many of the poor foreign workers live in places like this. Though you can’t see them in this photo, even places like this are not without their satellite dishes. Just a few blocks away is an area with beautiful walled villas and a very large, beautiful, and popular shopping mall.


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.