Where to stay in Jeddah

The historic heart: tower houses of coral stone with carved wooden rawashin balconies, the souks around Souq Al-Alawi and Naseef House. A few heritage hotels and simple ones nearby; liveliest after the evening prayer, when the lanes fill.

The central Corniche, where the large hotels face the Red Sea and King Fahd's Fountain, with the Floating Mosque and the sculpture parks along the shore. Good for an evening walk; everything else is a taxi.

The modern centre around Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Street, known to everyone as Tahlia: design hotels, malls and the city's best restaurants and coffee shops, busy until well after midnight.

The northern waterfront by the Jeddah Yacht Club and the Corniche Circuit, where the Grand Prix runs: the palace-style hotels, marinas and a long seafront promenade.

Thirty minutes north on the creek of Sharm Obhur: private beach resorts, marinas and the dive boats to the reefs. More resort than city, and the only place in Jeddah built around the sea.