Jeddah Corniche

35 km seafront promenade and open-air sculpture park

A 35 km waterfront walk along the Red Sea, running from the old port at the southern end up through the new districts to Obhur Creek in the north. The Corniche is the social heart of the city — by 7 PM in any month except the hottest, families are spread on rugs on the lawns, children play in fountains, and joggers, cyclists, and scooter-riders work the path.

Highlights along its length include the King Fahd Fountain (the tallest in the world), the Al Rahmah floating mosque, dozens of public sculptures, and a string of cafes and seafood restaurants. The southern stretch was recently rebuilt as Jeddah Waterfront and is the most pleasant section to walk in the cooler months.

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Hundreds of large public sculptures stand along the Corniche, commissioned in the 1970s and 80s by the city's then-mayor Mohamed Said Farsi. He invited Henry Moore, Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, and dozens of Arab artists. The result is one of the largest open-air sculpture collections in the world — visible day and night, often without labels, in concrete plazas between the road and the sea.

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