Jeddah

Is Jeddah safe to visit?

On crime, yes. Saudi Arabia recorded 0.80 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2024, theft is uncommon, and 93% of people in Gallup's 2025 survey said they feel safe walking alone at night. Violent crime against visitors is rare.

The war is the catch. The Houthis have fired missiles and drones at Saudi cities since July 2026, and in October they killed at least 17 people at Riyadh's airport. Jeddah has not been hit in the same way, but the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary names it among places with a heightened threat, and the UK now advises against all but essential travel to the whole country. Jeddah's factors average 74, higher than Riyadh (71), but both are capped at 65, the ceiling set by Saudi Arabia's conflict score.

Houthi threats on the Red Sea coast

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary's advice, updated on 27 October 2026, says there is a heightened threat of attacks on airports, military sites, ports and energy infrastructure across Saudi Arabia, and it names Jeddah alongside Riyadh, Abha, Jizan, Najran, Dammam and Yanbu. It calls further attacks on airports, and flight disruption, very likely. Shipping in the Red Sea is also at risk.

Jeddah has been a target before. On 25 March 2022, two days before the city's Formula 1 race, a Houthi attack set fire to tanks at an oil depot just southeast of the international airport; no casualties were reported. In the current wave, the Saudi-led coalition said on 29 and 30 October 2026 that it had intercepted a Houthi cruise missile aimed at the western region and a drone over the Makkah region, which includes Jeddah. It did not name a target, and no damage was reported.

The FCDO's advice applies here as in Riyadh: follow Saudi Civil Defence alerts on your phone, shelter in an interior room if told to, stay away from oil and port facilities, and do not film or share images of interceptions. Check that your flight is confirmed before you leave for the airport.

Flash floods

Floods are Jeddah's deadliest natural hazard. In November 2009, floods killed 123 people in the city, Middle East Eye reported. Witnesses told the BBC that many victims were trapped in cars and buses, and the city civil defence chief said the shantytowns around Jeddah were hit hardest. Floods in 2009 and 2011 damaged more than 10,000 homes and 17,000 vehicles between them, a 2015 study cited by Middle East Eye found. In November 2022 a record 179 mm of rain fell and two people died.

Canada's travel advice warns that heavy rain between November and February can cause major flooding. On a rain day:

• Stay out of underpasses and low roads, which fill with water first.
• Do not try to drive through moving water.
• Follow civil defence alerts and call 998 if you are trapped.

Pilgrims, scams and the law

Most visitors come for Umrah, and the main risks to pilgrims start at home. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says organised crime groups target people planning Hajj or Umrah, often those over 65. Book Hajj only on the official Nusuk Hajj platform and Umrah through an operator with ATOL protection. You need a meningitis ACWY certificate at least 10 days before arrival, and the FCDO warns that infections spread fast during the season. In the crowds at holy sites, Canada notes pickpocketing and purse snatching, so keep your passport in a zipped pocket.

Saudi law is strict in Jeddah too. Alcohol is illegal in public, so are swearing and public affection, and both men and women must cover elbows and knees. Unpaid traffic fines or hotel bills can stop you leaving the country, and the US warns that critical posts on social media, even old ones made abroad, have led to arrests.

Roads, heat and air

The Ministerial Committee for Traffic Safety counted 4,438 road deaths in Saudi Arabia in 2025, 12.05 per 100,000 people, much lower than in 2016 but about four times the rate in Abu Dhabi. There is no published figure for Jeddah. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls driving standards poor, so use ride-hailing apps, wear a seatbelt and cross the Corniche roads only at signals.

Plan outdoor sightseeing for early morning between May and September; the FCDO says summer temperatures in the region can pass 50°C. The WHO database gives Makkah province an annual fine-particle (PM2.5PM2.5Tiny airborne particles 2.5 micrometres across or smaller. They reach deep into the lungs and are the air pollutant most linked to early death.More in the glossary) average of 27.6 µg/m³ for 2024, more than five times the guideline. Hospitals in Jeddah are good, the FCDO says.

How we scored it

Walking at night (90) and theft and scams (88) are Jeddah's strongest factors, the same as Riyadh's. Traffic safety (48) is the weakest, on the national death rate, followed by natural hazards (58) for flash floods and heat. Violent crime (82) includes a deduction for the Houthi threat, smaller than Riyadh's because nobody has been killed in Jeddah. The weighted average of the factors is 74, but the overall score is capped at 65 (Saudi Arabia's conflict score of 30 + 35): a city cannot score above its country's conflict ceiling, because missiles and attacks do not stop at city limits.