Life In Jeddah, KSA?

Hi! Im from uzbekistan, and me with my family are planning to move to Jeddah. i wanted to ask hows lifestyle there? recreation? schools? is it true that in every school boys and girls study separately? what about sports, are there sport centers, basketball courts? is english the second language, i mean does everyone speak english in jeddah? what about the prices of hi-tech, computer hardware and stuff like that? internet?
Thanks!

hi mx4 !!
i live in jeddeh
schools in jeddah (in all Saudi Arabia ) separate boys from girls in different schools (this is the local schools ) because our religion doesn't allow boys and girls to mix up together , but as i know the international schools are not separate - boys and girls are together- .

however .... there are many sport clubs & centers , basketball courts, etc.. in jeddah

and yes ..the english language is the second language so youre probebly going to find alot of peoplewo talk english

as for the prices of computers and these stuff it depends on what company and quality of the product you are buying , but mostly cheap , and the internet you can use DSL ( you pay for example 600 SR every month and you can use it alltae time with high speed ....- there are less or high prices -)or you can just put it in your phone socket.

in jeddah to be spessific there are meny places to go you and your family to have fun like sawary land mark ,roshan mall , al shullal , jungle land , souq heraa , serafy mega mall, and meny more.

you are very welcomed in jeddah ... you and your family .
have fun !!!
:)

If you're going to work in Jeddah, then your employer/co-workers will help you settle in. The only problem with Jeddah is that it's too huge and you'll probably need help at the beginning to know your way around.

Boys & girls study separately in public schools, but there are also international schools available and I think this rule doesn't apply there, but I'm not sure.

There are several sport centers available that have basketball, volleyball, & tennis courts. They also have football fields in addition swimming pools & really good gymnasiums. And yes, English is the 2nd language spoken by many people there.

For hi-tech needs, there are two places you need to know about:

1- Extra: ALL your electronic needs, PCs, videogames, TV, washers & dryers, microwaves, cell phones, IPods, are just some of what they have. The prices here are fair.
2- Jarir Bookstore: A nice bookstore that also sell PCs, printers and some office supplies. Their prices are fair too.

Internet is a bit overpriced (around 250 riyals for 256 KB). It's also moderated by the government, which blocks pornographic and dangerous websites (which could be a good feature if you have kids). But if you want an internet with unlimited access, then you might want to get Internet through Orbit (they also offer Satellite TV with many good channels).

Things that I think you must do if you go to Jeddah:

1- Go to Al-Baik restaurant. It's one of the best restaurants in Jeddah with their famous broasted chicken with french fries. To me it's way better than KFC.
2- Visit the old downtown Jeddah (Balad). They have some traditional souks that sells nice things relatively cheaper than the famous brands.

I think Ryan just about summed it up nicely...
Now remember.. If you have daughters.. There are no public sports recreation centers for girls... If you live in a private housing compound, they probably will have a recreation center, swimming pool and more... but not publicly...
Please allow you wife and kids to socialize as much as they can, cause its who you know and who you meet that will get you into the doors of places you normally wont have access to

Hi, I left Jeddah in 2005 but have an opportunity to go back now and settle down again. Jeddah's pretty good though crowded and traffic is getting awful. The city corniche is most beautiful and you can actually go snorkeling or diving off the red sea coast. It's supposed to have the second best coral after australia though I have never been there myself. There are good beaches in Jeddah (Al Nakheel for one) and you can rent one of the private villas on the corniche away from the public view. I assume you are aware of Saudi customs and would request you to give due respect to these.

Regarding schools, Jeddah used to be coed till about 2005 but now there is a general directive regarding separate schools for girls and boys. Jeddah has active sports stadiums and a lot of clubs which demand a yearly fee. Sports Activities include foot ball, football and football. Sports clubs supports basketball, swimming, athletics, table tennis and some have squash courts too.

English is widely spoken in Jeddah and Saudi Arabia and almost every local is able to provide directions and converse.

Computers are not too expensive as duties are minimum and DSL is easily available through Saudi Telecom with varios ISP such as Awalnet providing upto speeds of 2MBPS (256 and 512KBPS is more regular among us regular users. Try Palestine street (falasteen) for Mobiles and computer hardware.

Hope you have a nice time in jeddah, its nice climate unlike Riyadh and dammam (too cold and hot) though hummidity is high especially in Summer.