Saudi Arabia: Jeddah, the city that is not sleeping this summer

Organized each year by the Saudi tourism authority, the Jeddah Summer Season is a summer season dedicated to the animation of the city, combining leisure, culture, music, sport and commerce. Objective: to make Jeddah a center of attractiveness for local and international visitors, even in summer. The 2025 edition, launched under the slogan “Color Your Summer”, takes place until August 31 throughout the city.

Beaches, concerts, traditional markets and immersive experiences: Jeddah vibrates to the rhythm of a rich and perfectly established program. Air-conditioned enchanted forests, horror festivals, walks on the islands or shopping in the historic district of al-Balad attract a varied audience, from the informed noctambule family. “This year, it’s really exceptional,” says Abulrahman al-Nahari, who came from Jazan with his children. Despite the heat, visitors are won over.

The beaches of the west coast – Zaya, Kashta, Eden or the Pink Beach reserved for women – offer a refreshing parenthesis, between live music, food trucks and family animations. Even the most skeptical are seduced: “It is very well organized and clean”, underlines Muhannad Shaker, resident of Jeddah, who usually flees the crowds. Another popular place: Forest Wonders, an immersive interior, air -conditioned and thought for families. Animal shows, theatrical performances, interactive games and themed meals plunge young and old into a universe apart. “My children loved it, and I was able to shop in Al-Balad,” says Fatima al-Bugami, who came from Makkah. An entire city that reinvents itself for a summer.

Since the early 2010s, Saudi Arabia has experienced a rapid transformation of its cultural and tourist landscape. Long focused on religious tourism, it now expands its offer to a wider audience thanks to massive investments in leisure, international events and infrastructure. The Jeddah Summer Season is a concrete illustration: it symbolizes a new era where the kingdom is focusing on the opening, modernity and diversification of its economy through tourism.