From historic Hijazi homes to immersive digital art, these Jeddah museums reveal the culture, creativity and seafaring heritage of the Red Sea city.
Jeddah may be known for its world-class dining, coastal charm and buzzing events calendar, but the Red Sea city also has a rich cultural story to tell. Across Al Balad, Al Hamra, Ash Shati and beyond, museums offer a window into Saudi Arabia’s past and present, spanning Islamic architecture, maritime history, contemporary sculpture, traditional homes and cutting-edge digital art. Here are the Jeddah museums worth adding to your itinerary.
Al Matbouli House Museum
Located in historic Al Balad, Beit Al Matbouli Museum offers a fascinating look inside one of Jeddah’s traditional Hijazi homes. Set within Al Qossani Alley, the 400-year-old property once belonged to a wealthy merchant family and has since been transformed into a private museum. Visitors can admire wooden ceilings, vintage gramophones, antique furnishings and local artefacts that capture the atmosphere of old Jeddah.
Where: Al Matbouli House Museum, Al Balad District, Jeddah, 22236
Contact: @jeddahalbalad.sa
Al Tayebat International City
Al Tayebat International City is one of Jeddah’s most impressive cultural landmarks. Located in Al Faisaliyyah, the vast museum spans 10,000 square metres and features 300 rooms across 12 buildings and 18 wings. Its design celebrates traditional Hijazi architecture, with coral stonework, wooden lattice windows and decorative minarets. Inside, more than 60,000 artefacts trace Islamic, Saudi and global history, from ancient manuscripts and traditional clothing to a replica of the Kaaba.
Where: Al Tayebat International City, 3170 Raihanat Al Jazirah, Al Faisaliyyah, Jeddah
Contact: www.visitsaudi.com
Angawi House
Set in the residential neighbourhood of Ash Shati, Angawi House is part private home, part architectural treasure and part cultural sanctuary. Owned by Dr Sami Angawi, an expert in Islamic architecture and design, the house reflects a deep respect for traditional craftsmanship. Built around a central courtyard, it features stained glass, carved wood, ceramics, elegant arches and stone details. The property has welcomed royals, presidents and dignitaries, making it one of Jeddah’s most distinctive cultural addresses.
Where: Angawi House, Al Shati, Jeddah
Contact: www.samiangawiarchitects.net
Darwish Salamah Museum
The Darwish Salamah Museum in Al Hamra is a characterful house-turned-museum filled with personal collections and detailed miniature models. Once owned by a retired Saudi Royal Air Force colonel, the museum displays replicas of historic landmarks, mosques, regional architecture, cars and aeroplanes. Visitors can also explore models inspired by the Hijaz and Asir regions, offering a compact but engaging journey through Saudi design, history and craftsmanship.
Where: Darwish Salamah Museum, Al-Hamra’a, 3029 Al Ruboua Al Arabiah, Jeddah
Contact: @darwishalisalamah
Jeddah Sculpture Museum
Jeddah Sculpture Museum celebrates the city’s long-standing relationship with public art. The open-air museum is home to hundreds of sculptures that were once displayed across Jeddah’s streets and roundabouts before being preserved in a dedicated cultural space. The collection includes more than 400 works, ranging from abstract forms to designs inspired by Arabic heritage. Set close to the waterfront, it is one of the city’s most photogenic cultural attractions.
Where: Jeddah Sculpture Museum, Al-Hamra’a, Jeddah
Contact: www.sculpturesofjeddah.com
Museum of Home Art
Located in Al-Hamra’a, the Museum of Home Art explores the evolution of interior design and domestic style. Its collection includes vintage furniture, decorative objects and homeware pieces with a history stretching back more than 70 years. The museum highlights how different communities have shaped ideas of beauty, comfort and craftsmanship within the home, drawing inspiration from both Eastern and Western design traditions.
Where: Museum of Home Art, Al-Hamra’a, Jeddah
Contact: www.visitsaudi.com
Nassif House Museum
Nassif House Museum is one of Al Balad’s most important heritage landmarks. Built in the 1800s for Omar Nasseef Efendi, the former Governor of Jeddah, the mansion has been recognised as a cultural centre since 2009. Its Ottoman-influenced architecture, Arabic calligraphy, historic rooms and 19th-century artworks offer a glimpse into Jeddah’s political, social and artistic past.
Where: Nassif House Museum, Al Dhahab, Al-Balad, Jeddah
Contact: https://welcomesaudi.com
Red Sea Museum
Set inside the restored Bab Al Bunt building in Al Balad, the Red Sea Museum brings Jeddah’s maritime history into focus. Once the city’s gateway to the world, the building now explores the connection between land, sea and trade. The museum features more than 1,000 artefacts and artworks across 23 galleries, arranged into seven themed sections. Highlights include displays on Bab Al Bunt’s transformation and the cultural significance of the Red Sea.
Where: Red Sea Museum, Al-Balad, Jeddah
Contact: @rredsea_mc
TeamLab Borderless Jeddah
TeamLab Borderless Jeddah offers one of the city’s most immersive cultural experiences. Created by the Japanese art collective teamLab, the map-free museum invites visitors to move through digital artworks that shift, interact and flow between rooms. Blending art, technology and imagination, the experience breaks away from the traditional museum format and places visitors inside constantly evolving worlds of light, colour and movement.
Where: TeamLab Borderless Jeddah, Hamzah Shehatah, Al-Balad, Jeddah
Contact: www.teamlab.art