Three hundred and ten metres
The tallest fountain in the world, higher than the Eiffel Tower.
Ferdinand Reus from Arnhem, Holland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · 우한길(HK Woo) — CC BY 3.0 · ほっきー — CC0
The tallest fountain in the world — its column of water reaches about three hundred and ten metres, higher than the Eiffel Tower, and it is visible from most of Jeddah. King Fahd gave it to the city and it began operating in 1985. It pumps some six hundred and twenty-five litres a second at over two hundred and sixty kilometres an hour, keeping around eighteen tonnes of water in the air at any moment. One detail is worth noting: it pumps seawater, not fresh. That is a practical decision in a city dependent on desalination — fresh water is far too valuable to throw into the sky. In the evening it is lit by more than five hundred floodlights, which is its real hour. There is nothing to visit here in the usual sense: the fountain stands out in the sea and cannot be approached, only watched from the Corniche. Spray reaches the front when the wind blows landward. It can be switched off for maintenance or in high wind — this does happen, so do not plan a whole evening around it. The Corniche itself is the real destination: a long promenade, open space, sculpture and restaurants, with the floating Al-Rahma Mosque minutes away. Watching is entirely free, and half an hour is enough.
The tallest fountain in the world, higher than the Eiffel Tower.
More than five hundred lamps, and its real hour.
A long promenade with sculpture and restaurants — the real destination around it.
Jeddah Corniche, north bay
The north bay Corniche directly opposite, which is the intended spot with parking and seating. It is visible from many points across Jeddah and from the air, but the Corniche gives the full view with the lighting.
No — half an hour at most. But it makes complete sense within a Corniche evening: walk the front, see the fountain, then the nearby floating Al-Rahma Mosque, then dinner. The Corniche is what deserves the evening, and the fountain is part of it.
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