Located just off Al Kurnaysh Road on Jeddah’s north corniche, Fakieh Aquarium is the first marine exhibition of its kind in Saudi Arabia, and it’s no coincidence that it finds itself within earshot of the city’s lapping Red Sea. The sprawling tunnels and vast tanks that make up the aquarium house over 200 species and around 85 percent of them are native to Jeddah’s undisturbed coral reefs. It makes this colorful window onto the Red Sea the best way to experience the region’s vibrant underwater ecosystem without needing to squeeze into scuba gear.

Accompanied by a meditative soundtrack and enclosed in cavern walls, a trip through the aquarium brings you face-to-face with some of the 800 Red Sea oddities that don’t exist anywhere else on the planet

Aquarium Jeddah