For those of you who don’t know, Jeddah is a shopping paradise! Reputed to have over 90 shopping malls (or “malls” as they are commonly known), with new locations currently under construction, it is a popular destination for both Saudis and expats, as well as the millions of pilgrims who arrive in the city. every year to visit Mecca. A bustling commercial center located on the Red Sea coast, Jeddah boasts a population of approximately 3.2 million. It’s no wonder, then, that shopping is so popular in a country where cinemas, theaters and nightclubs have no place. From well-heeled designer wares to everyday high street shops (and everything in between), Jeddah has it all! However, with so many retail options, it can be hard to know exactly where to go for the best shopping experience. Naturally, having lived in the city for only eight months, I still have a long way to go before I can claim to have visited even a significant proportion of Jeddah’s shopping malls. But I’m certainly doing my best to fit as much “exploring” into my busy schedule as possible and would like to share my experiences with you.

Two of the largest malls are the Red Sea Mall and the Mall of Arabia, the latter being one of my favorites. To give you an idea of ​​its size, let’s say that the Red Sea Mall has 18 entrances, 4,000 parking spaces and three floors of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues, as well as a 5-star hotel and 7-floor offices. Building attached to the roof. My favorite stores here are the Virgin Megastore and the Danube hypermarket, which has a great selection of non-food items as well as a good range of international foods on sale. Meanwhile, the Mall of Arabia is Jeddah’s largest mall with 330 stores and three floors of shops, restaurants, and entertainment facilities, including an ice-skating rink. Being one of the newer developments, it is modern, lightweight and easy to navigate due to its circular design. It’s also home to some of my favorite stores, including Boots the Chemist (the only one I know of in Jeddah!), Ziddy (children’s clothing), Desigual (children’s and adult designer clothing from Spain), and Gap Kids.

Being so large, these two malls have the advantage of being open between 1 pm and 5 pm (most stores in Saudi Arabia are closed between these hours). However, it’s fair to say that only the larger stores within these centers will remain open during this time, the smaller ones reopening at 5 p.m. On a smaller scale, Stars Avenue is a wonderful find just five minutes from our home. While several of its stores are a bit out of my price range (Saks Fifth Avenue, for example!), it does have some decently priced stores like Mango and New Look and recently opened a new branch of Manuel, one of my go-to supermarkets. Favorites that have a very good selection of imported European foods. Goodies, the Lebanese restaurant/deli chain, also deserves a special mention for its quality food at reasonable prices, as does Little Book for its selection of children’s books in English.

Another recent discovery is the newly completed Haifa Mall. When I visited about three months ago, it was so new that only two-thirds of the stores had opened their doors. What impressed me most about the place, apart from the smell of disinfectant and its resemblance to the Mall of Arabia (developed by the same company), was the selection of stores and facilities. There were a number of shops that I had rarely or never come across before in Jeddah, such as F&F (Tesco’s first clothing store in Saudi Arabia) and a soft playground by Billy Beez, the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia. . Conveniently located on one floor, this place is definitely worth another visit. If you’re looking for something totally different, you can head to the Balad district, downtown, where the real hustle and bustle is. However, it can get extremely busy here, so mornings can be a good option as they are generally quieter. The Corniche Shopping Center is made up of many small shops selling a wide range of products from perfumes to electronics and souvenirs. Unlike other fancier malls, it’s a good place to pick up gifts to take home, like Saudi t-shirts and mugs. Bargains can also be had in the shoe department and there is a large Star supermarket that sells a wide range of Filipino foods as well as non-food items.

Naturally, this is just a small selection of what I think Jeddah has to offer in terms of ‘retail therapy’. There are, however, many more places to recommend in this melting pot… but this would require at least another article or two. Check out this space!