Balad is an Arabic word which means City or Town and Al Balad was historical center of Jeddah for many years. Bab Makkah which is also situated within this area was the old and historical route for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrims to reach Holy city of Makkah.
With the exploration of oil when Saudi became one of the richest countries in the world locals moved from this historical and less privileged area to north of the city leaving these beautifully constructed historical buildings abandoned.
With the passage of time low salaried expats started settling in these buildings. Accepted as UNESCO world heritage sites in 2014 Saudi government is now giving deserved attention to Al Balad district and renovating building in line with their 2030 vision and to promote cultural tourism across the kingdom.
However, there are a lot of renovation work going on; some of the buildings are ready and transformed into Historical Museums which can be visited by taking their entrance tickets.
The district is very famous and a must visit place for visitors from Saudia and Hajj & Umrah pilgrims as markets in the district offer good quality products in comparatively cheaper price.
The best time to visit this place is in the evening after 4 pm because I reached here after 6:30 pm when it was already dark and most of the shops were closed. There’s a possibility to rent a golf cart to travel around the district but I would recommend you to walk as this is one of the best places you will find in Jeddah. If you are tired of walking then enjoy a cup of tea or coffee at any of the coffee shops in the district. I would recommend you have your cup of Tea at Layali Al Tarikhi opposite to Bait Silwam.
Other top tourist attractions within the district include Bab Al Balad, Sharbatly House, Bait Al Hodaif, Bait Ziryab , Matbouli House, Nassif House and Baab Makkah. You can find some more places but these are the minimum you should visit
Enjoy the virtual tour of district with me by watching below video:
SAUDI DESTINATIONS 