Shopping in Jeddah

Jeddah splits its shopping between air-conditioned malls on the northern ring roads and the working souks of Al-Balad, where gold still gets weighed on a scale and spice sellers measure saffron by the handful. Saudi Arabia charges 15% VAT on most retail goods, and since 18 April 2025 non-resident tourists have been able to claim a chunk of it back before flying home (sources: ZATCA-referenced VAT guides; Arab News, accessed 2026-09-08).

Jeddah's shopping malls

Jeddah's biggest malls sit north of downtown, mostly clustered near King Abdulaziz International Airport, and they go big rather than niche: cinemas, hypermarkets and family entertainment sit alongside the usual mix of international and Saudi fashion chains.

Red Sea Mall's curved glass facade lit up at dusk

Red Sea Mall

Opened in March 2008 by developer SEDCO Holding on King Abdulaziz Road, between the airport and the Red Sea coast, the mall covers 242,000m² of built area. VOX Cinemas runs 12 screens here including an IMAX hall, Danube anchors the grocery side, and the on-site Joudyan Hotel connects straight into the mall for an easy stay-and-shop combo. Open Saturday-Thursday 09:00-24:00, Friday 13:00-24:00 (sources: Wikipedia; redseamall.com official site, accessed 2026-09-08).

Official site
redseamall.com
Location
King Abdulaziz Road, northern Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Address
Not publicly confirmed – only the road name is published, no street number found
Phone
+966 12 215 1551
Hours
Sat–Thu 09:00–24:00, Fri 13:00–24:00
Source
redseamall.com (official site), accessed 2026-09-08
Confidence
High

Photo: Artiktoriy0, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Mall of Arabia

A 261,000m² mall that opened in October 2008 on Madinah Road, close to the airport, now operated by Cenomi Centers (renamed from Arabian Centres Company in December 2022). Its biggest draw for families is KidZania Jeddah, a full-size children's role-play city spread across three floors of retail. Reported hours (secondary sources, not confirmed on a live official page at time of research): Saturday-Thursday 10:00-23:00, Friday 14:00-23:30 – confirm locally before planning around them.

Official site
cenomicenters.com – the mall's own page returned HTTP 429 (rate-limited) on every verification attempt on 2026-09-08, so it could not be checked directly
Location
Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah Road (Madinah Road), Jeddah, near King Abdulaziz International Airport
Address
Not publicly confirmed – only the road name is published, no street number found
Phone
Not independently confirmed – secondary business-listing aggregators (Occupi, Yandex Maps) report +966 9200 00262; not verified against Cenomi's own site
Hours
Reported by the same aggregators as Sat–Thu 10:00–23:30, Fri 14:00–23:30 – unconfirmed, matches the hedge already stated above
Source
Wikipedia, "Mall of Arabia (Jeddah)", accessed 2026-09-08 (location); secondary business directories, accessed 2026-09-08 (phone/hours)
Confidence
Medium location · Low phone/hours

Al Andalus Mall

Opened in 2007 on King Abdullah Road opposite King Abdulaziz Square, the mall leans into Andalusian arches and courtyards for its look. The building covers 148,481m² including parking, with 88,863m² of leasable space across two floors let to 298 tenants running 342 stores, anchored by a HyperPanda supermarket and a cinema (sources: AlAhli REIT fund portfolio disclosure; AlHabib Investment, accessed 2026-09-08).

Official site
Not publicly confirmed – alandalus-mall.com returned an inactive default hosting placeholder page (no live content) when checked on 2026-09-08
Location
King Abdullah Street at its intersection with Prince Majid Street, Al Fayha district, Jeddah
Address
8800 Prince Majid St, Al Fayha District, Jeddah 22245–3337 (secondary business directories); consistent with the owning fund's own valuation report, which describes the King Abdullah St / Prince Majid St intersection
Phone
Not independently confirmed – a toll-free number, +966 800 111 1771, appears on secondary directories only
Hours
Not publicly confirmed
Source
AlAhli REIT Fund (1) portfolio and valuation disclosures, alahlireit.com, accessed 2026-09-08; secondary business directories for address/phone, accessed 2026-09-08
Confidence
Medium location · Low phone/hours/website

Serafi Mega Mall

An L-shaped mall on the corner of Tahlia Street and 60th Street with roughly 100,000m² of retail floor, best known locally for having one of the largest concentrations of abaya shops in Jeddah. A Danube hypermarket anchors one end, and two indoor gaming zones, In10So and MoonToon, cover arcade games, laser tag and bowling for families taking a break from the racks (source: Wikipedia, accessed 2026-09-08).

Shopping in Al-Balad: gold and spice souks

Al-Balad, Jeddah's old town, carries UNESCO World Heritage status too, listed as Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah since 2014. That inscription is about the coral-stone buildings and wooden balconies; for that story, see the Al-Balad Historic District guide. What follows here is the shopping side: what the souks actually sell (source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, List ID 1361, accessed 2026-09-08).

Souq Al-Dahab (the gold souk)

A tight cluster of jewellery shops off Gabel Street, near Souq Al-Alawi, where 18k, 21k and 22k gold is sold by weight at the day's international rate, with a workmanship charge added on top, usually somewhere between 5% and 15% depending on the design. Bring cash or a card, know the day's gold price before you go in, and expect the first quote to move if you push back (sources: Visit Saudi; multiple Jeddah shopping guides, accessed 2026-09-08).

Souq Al-Alawi

The main market street through the middle of Al-Balad, split into loose sections rather than one uniform aisle. Herbalist's Lane (Zaqaq Al-Etarah) sells saffron, cardamom, dried rose and frankincense by weight; perfume stalls blend oud oil to order; textile shops carry thobes, abayas and hand-embroidered fabric; and there are still antique dealers selling old daggers and copperware alongside the gold and jewellery. Dates, honey and dallah coffee pots make easier souvenirs to carry home. Prices are rarely fixed, so opening around half the asking price is normal practice, not rude (source: Visit Saudi, accessed 2026-09-08).

VAT and tax-free shopping for tourists

Saudi Arabia introduced VAT at 5% on 1 January 2018, then raised it to 15% on 1 July 2020, and that 15% rate still applies in 2026. It's built into the price tag in most shops, so what you see is close to what you pay, unless you take advantage of the refund scheme below.

Since 18 April 2025, ZATCA's amended VAT Implementing Regulations let non-resident tourists and GCC nationals reclaim VAT on qualifying purchases, a genuine saving worth planning for on a big shopping day. Spend more than SAR 500 at one store in a single day (up to three receipts from that store can be combined to clear the threshold), keep the goods unused, and export them within 90 days. Refund kiosks sit in the departure areas of three airports: 10 at King Khalid International in Riyadh, 4 at King Fahd International in Dammam, and 4 at King Abdulaziz International here in Jeddah. Refunds land back on a card or in cash, though cash payouts are capped at SAR 5,000 a day and are not available at Jeddah's North Terminal. Hotel bills, restaurant meals, vehicles, boats, tobacco, fuel and food or drink don't qualify (sources: Arab News; China Briefing; Gulf News, accessed 2026-09-08).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can tourists get a VAT refund on shopping in Jeddah?

Yes. ZATCA's VAT refund scheme for non-resident tourists and GCC nationals took effect on 18 April 2025, so keep your receipts. Spend over SAR 500 at one store, export the goods within 90 days, and claim at a kiosk in the departure area, including four kiosks at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. Cash refunds are capped at SAR 5,000 a day and aren't paid out at the North Terminal (sources: Arab News; China Briefing; Gulf News, accessed 2026-09-08).

What is Saudi Arabia's VAT rate on shopping?

15%. It started at 5% on 1 January 2018, was raised to 15% on 1 July 2020, and has stayed there since, including through 2026 (source: ZATCA-referenced VAT guides, accessed 2026-09-08).

Where is the gold souk in Jeddah?

Inside Al-Balad, off Gabel Street near Souq Al-Alawi, in a cluster of shops locally known as Souq Al-Dahab. Gold is sold by weight at the daily rate, plus a workmanship charge that typically runs 5% to 15% (sources: Visit Saudi; multiple Jeddah shopping guides, accessed 2026-09-08).

What can you buy at Souq Al-Alawi in Jeddah?

Spices and incense on Herbalist's Lane, made-to-order oud perfume, gold and antique jewellery, embroidered textiles, thobes and abayas, plus dates, honey and dallah coffee pots to take home. Bargaining is normal, and starting around half the asking price is a common, friendly approach (source: Visit Saudi, accessed 2026-09-08).

Continue exploring: the Al-Balad Historic District guide covers the architecture and heritage story, and restaurants in Jeddah can help you plan a meal around your shopping trip.

Sources

Mall hours, VAT thresholds and refund procedures can change; confirm current details on the mall's own site or ZATCA's official channels before a visit timed around them.