http://www.arabnews.com/?page=13§ion=0&article=100663&d=2&m=9&y=2007&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Local%20Press
Saturday, 1, September, 2007 (19, Sha`ban, 1428) Jeddah and Its Bad Reputation Abdu Khal . Okaz We hear often that Jeddah is a corrupt and degraded city. These accusations are made especially during the vacation season when thousands of people come to the city from other parts of the Kingdom. However, it is weird that the actual residents of Jeddah do not see the corruption or the immorality that they supposedly live in. So the question arises, why do people visiting Jeddah have such a view? Before looking for an answer, I want to share a story about a friend from the Southern Region of the Kingdom. He had been brainwashed with this idea and thought he was coming to visit a European country. My friend told me that he thought the minute he sets foot in Jeddah he would find everything his heart desires. On arrival, he told me that people visiting the city have a tendency to spread such rumors. However, life is no different in Jeddah than the rest of Saudi Arabia and each person has it different according to his lifestyle. The Hijaz has always had a different social routine that differs from that of the rest of the Kingdom. Cities of the Western Region have visitors from all corners of the world, who bring their different cultures and backgrounds. The different types of people have colored these cities' atmosphere with special social standards that distinguish them from other Saudi regions. Jeddah also is the principal gateway to Makkah, the holiest city of Islam, visited by millions of Muslims each year for Umrah and Haj. However, that still does not justify why some shortsighted people, who know nothing about the history of Jeddah, its environment and people, promote negative images about the city. Do we understand that different social groups, when put to live together in one surrounding, must respect and value the traditions, cultures and behaviors of the other instead of simply resorting to defame it?