A Pilot’s 24‑Hour Layover in Jeddah

The author, a long‑haul airline pilot who visits Jeddah almost monthly, describes how he spends a 24‑hour layover in the Red Sea port city. After a night flight from London that landed at sunrise, he rested at the crew hotel, noticed a qibla marker pointing toward Mecca and prepared for a short day of exploring.

He began with coffee at Brew92° on Sari Road, sampling the daily brew, Hacienda Copey, and watching a mix of Saudi and Western dress during a busy lunch hour. The piece notes the local coffee tradition — poured from a dallah and often served with dates — and the city’s modern coffee culture.

By early afternoon he entered Al Balad, Jeddah’s historic core and a UNESCO World Heritage site. He walked through the Al Furdah gate into narrow, shaded lanes lined with mosques, traditional homes, coffeehouses and shops selling gold and ornamental birdcages. He describes architectural features such as roshan latticework and visited Beit Nassif, a large historic house now a museum and cultural center, where a neem tree in the square recalls stories of the city’s past as a port for pilgrims heading to Mecca.

Near Suq Bab Makkah he bought sukkari dates to share with colleagues, following a guide’s recommendation to dip them in tahini. He ate at Minaa cafe a panini filled with fuul and listened to craftsmen preserving the skills for making lattice windows, then bought a small wooden star‑shaped sample as a keepsake.

Key Topics

Business, United States, Culture, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Al Balad, Corniche