A market street in old Jeddah, Al Balad, with its shaded arcades.

Layover guideJeddah · JED

What to buy in Jeddah

Historic Jeddah's souqs mix antique goods with current trends, Oasis Mall gathers local gold shops, and Souq Al Badu closes from 12:00 to 16:30 every day.

Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

All of Jeddah

In Historic Jeddah, the tourism authority says traditional antique goods meet the latest trends in markets including Souq Al Badu, Souq Qabil, Souq Alawi, Souq Nada, Souq Al-Khaskeya, Souq Bab Al Makkah and Souq Bab Shareef.

Souq Al Badu, steps from the Bab Makkah gate, is known for fine women's clothing, fabrics, scarves and traditional handicrafts, and needs no ticket. Visit Saudi lists it as open 9:00 to 22:30 Saturday to Thursday and 16:30 to 22:30 on Friday, and marks it closed daily from 12:00 to 16:30.

For gold, jewellery and silver, Visit Saudi points to Oasis Mall in Al Worood, a multi-storey complex of local gold shops that were previously scattered across the city.

Souq Alshat'a in Al Zahra is known for its abaya shops and outdoor market restaurants. Souq Al-Murjan in Al Safa sells clothing, abayas, tableware, bakhoor, oud and perfume at low to medium prices. Souq Al Bawadi has handcrafted goods, traditional clothes and gold and jewellery shops.

Souq Almena, locally called Souq AlSawarek, in southwest Jeddah, is the bargain and second-hand market, spread over more than 9 square kilometres.

Visit Saudi (Saudi Tourism Authority): The multicultural souqs of Jeddah · checked 2026-09-28
Visit Saudi (Saudi Tourism Authority): Souq Al Badu · checked 2026-09-28

The rest of Jeddah

The whole guide

Getting out of the airportA Haramain high speed rail station sits inside the airport terminal and runs 06:30 to 00:30, so anything outside those hours is a road transfer.Ride-hailingUber operates at JED and is bookable 24/7; Careem also runs airport rides there.Local laws that catch crew outAlcohol, dress, photography and public behaviour are all regulated, and the penalties the FCDO lists run to fines, prison and deportation.Staying connectedAll three Saudi operators sell visitor prepaid SIMs.WeatherDesert heat year-round; mid-June to mid-September is severe enough that the state bans midday outdoor work.Eating near the crew hotelsAl-Balad, the UNESCO-listed old town, is the food-and-souk district — about 40 minutes' drive from JED.