Located on the coast of Red Sea, Jeddah is the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh and is the most cosmopolitan of all Saudi Arabia\'s cities.
By the end of the 1970s, the population of Jeddah was estimated to be close to one million. By 1986, the estimated population was 1.4 million. The population by 1993 passed the two million mark. The population of the city currently stands at over 3.4 million.
With a thousand years of trading behind it and home to some of the world\'s most successful merchants and business people, it is natural that Jeddah is the commercial capital of Saudi Arabia. In addition, the city\'s geographical location places it at the heart of the region covered by the Middle East and North Africa, with all their capitals within two hours flying distance, defining Jeddah as the commercial center of the Middle East. Due to the economic boom in this region there is a central business district planned which would be one of the biggest CBD in the eastern world.
Popular Saudi and foreign opinion regards Jeddah as the most liberal and cosmopolitan of Saudi cities due to its historic role as port and gateway to the holy city of Mecca.
