Indian businesses and services in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

For millions of South Asian Muslims, Jeddah is the gateway to Makkah: pilgrims arriving for Hajj and Umrah from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka come through the city's airport, and the Indian Consulate General here plays a large part in organising support for Indian pilgrims each Hajj season. Non-Muslims may not enter Makkah's sacred area, and checkpoints on the roads into the city enforce the rule.

The community that lives here year-round has a strong Keralite and Hyderabadi flavour, with a large Pakistani and Bangladeshi presence too. Sharafiya, long nicknamed Jeddah's Little India for its Kerala restaurants, grocers, tailors, money exchanges and travel agents, is the neighbourhood most associated with South Asian life, though demolitions since 2021 have thinned it out. Al Balad, the historic heart of the city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014, has souks and trading houses where South Asian merchants have long been part of the scene, and is well worth an evening walk once the heat drops.

As in the rest of Saudi Arabia, there are no public temples or gurdwaras, and non-Muslims worship privately. Social life runs through state and regional associations, school events and cricket leagues. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are the main holidays, and Ramadan evenings in Sharafiya and Al Balad are lively. The weekend falls on Friday and Saturday. The Corniche along the Red Sea is where many families spend their evenings, especially in the cooler months.