Map › Saudi Arabia › Jeddah / South Corniche

Red Sea & Arabian Gulf — Egypt, Israel, Jordan, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia · Jeddah

Jeddah / South Corniche

also known as South Corniche

beginner-friendlylow crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
- Rescue
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
FAQ

Jeddah / South Corniche has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Decthe months riders and schools name How windy14-28mixed Launchbigaccess rules on record, below Watermixed30.5°C in summer · 8 things riders flag LevelBeginner to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools4named at this spot From the airportno transfer time publishedKing Abdulaziz International Airport

When it fills in

The thermal reportedly builds in the early afternoon.

South Corniche sits south of central Jeddah: a wide sandy beach on the Red Sea, a shallow first section, and water that runs flat to choppy depending on the day. The wind is mostly northwest, cross to onshore, and builds as a thermal in the early afternoon; December to February is the window, with 14-28 knots the usual working range.

The first 50 m are very shallow and easy to walk out through, but reef and rock start roughly 500-800 m from the launch and that is where the spot bites.

Racing arrived in 2025, when the Saudi Sailing Federation ran Follow The Wind at Corniche Al Hamra, and by 2026 Jeddah counted among the Saudi coastal cities where kiting is picking up. Broader claims of year-round wind over Jeddah do not line up with the December-February advice for South Corniche itself.

Beginners can get lessons in the city, but reef, beach debris and bystanders who walk straight up to a pumped kite mean you want a local with you the first time. Rules are the open part: no public notice was found for 2026, and police and coast guard attention is reported.

The wind

Direction

onshoreNW

Kite sizes

7891011121314

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

mixed

fills in: The thermal reportedly builds in the early afternoon.

Typical strength

14-28

Pretty steady at South Corniche. Over the wider Jeddah coast the wind is reportedly consistent for most of the year.

December to February is the best stretch at South Corniche. Across the wider Jeddah coast, riding is reportedly possible most of the year, with December given as a no-wind period and the wind returning in January.

Also on record

10-20

The quiver, in words

9-12m

Direction to shore

WNW, roughly cross/onshore off the Red Sea

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month55
Feb, riders' month74
Mar68
Apr57
May61
Jun58
Jul32
Aug45
Sep57
Oct35
Nov32
Dec, riders' month44

windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Dec.

55%Jan27°
74%Feb26°
68%Mar27°
57%Apr28°
61%May29°
58%Jun31°
32%Jul32°
45%Aug33°
57%Sep31°
35%Oct31°
32%Nov31°
44%Dec29°

windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted

Month	Windy days	Force 4+	12 kn or more	Knots	From	Peaks at	Air	Water	Readings
Jan	55%	77%	68%	13.9 kt	NNW	15:00	23.5°C	27.3°C	62
Feb	74%	82%	77%	15.8 kt	NNW	15:00	23.4°C	26°C	57
Mar	68%	84%	82%	15.3 kt	NW	14:00	25.4°C	26.5°C	62
Apr	57%	83%	75%	15.2 kt	NW	15:00	28.1°C	27.7°C	60
May	61%	82%	69%	14.6 kt	NW	14:00	29.4°C	29°C	62
Jun	58%	87%	68%	14.7 kt	NW	14:00	31.4°C	30.7°C	60
Jul	32%	68%	55%	12.6 kt	NW	14:00	32.7°C	31.5°C	62
Aug	45%	76%	66%	13.5 kt	NW	15:00	32.9°C	32.7°C	62
Sep	57%	88%	80%	14.9 kt	NW	15:00	31.8°C	31.4°C	60
Oct	35%	81%	65%	13 kt	NW	15:00	30°C	31.2°C	62
Nov	32%	65%	48%	12.3 kt	NW	16:00	28.1°C	30.5°C	60
Dec	44%	71%	56%	13.2 kt	NNW	15:00	25.7°C	29.1°C	62

modelled

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024

The water

Type

mixed

Standing depth

The first 50 m are usually very shallow, with plenty of waist-deep water before the reef zones farther out.

Tides

Riding here is reportedly tide independent.

Temperature

30.5°C summer · 26.9°C winter

Wetsuit

Shorts or a shorty all year. A lycra top or a short suit is enough, depending on what you like.

26–33°C water

Flat to choppy depending on the wind, with small to medium waves possible. Reef and rock start roughly 500-800 m from the launch.

Your level

beginnerintermediateadvanced

Beginner, intermediate and expert are all reported for this spot, and no level is ruled out anywhere. Reef, rock and uncertain enforcement mean a beginner should get a local briefing before the first session.

The scene

What riders come here for

beginnerfreerideflat watertrainingsmall waves

Some days you are the only kite on the water and a crowd of onlookers builds anyway. The local and expat kite scene in Jeddah is growing.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

4 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: big

access rules on record

Somewhere else

No neighbour on record

No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.

Rescue

No formal rescue. Ride with a buddy for launch, landing and anything that goes wrong.

Launch

A big sandy beach on South Corniche, reached by car south of Jeddah near N 21 14' 02.7", E 039 08' 42.9", past a checkpoint and a fishermen harbour.

Space

big

Rules & access

2026: no public rule notice is posted. There are no written rules, yet police and coast guard attention is reported, so ask locally before you launch.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

Rig well away from families and parked cars; privacy on this beach matters and a kite coming down near someone is a real problem.
Walk the first shallow section out before you put the board on.
Stay off the dark or blue patches inside the green water, they are reef or rock.
Ask a Jeddah school or club how the coast guard is handling kiters that week before you launch.
Ride with a buddy for launch and landing; no rescue cover was found here.

Getting there

Airport

King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah

Route

Car is the documented way in. Jeddah has several corniches, so drive south past the centre and follow the South Corniche signs.

Cost level

mid

Staying

City hotels and beach resorts in Jeddah. Nothing kite-specific at South Corniche.

No-wind days

Jeddah Corniche waterfront · Scuba diving and snorkeling on the Red Sea · Historic Jeddah and city dining · Boat and beach activities

FAQ

When is the best time to kite South Corniche?

December to February is the specific best window, though kiting around the wider Jeddah area is described as possible most of the year.

Is South Corniche suitable for beginners?

Yes, it is listed for beginner through advanced riders, though reef starting 500-800 m offshore and unclear enforcement mean local briefing matters.

What is the wind like?

The dominant direction is northwest, with an early-afternoon thermal increase and a typical range of 14-28 knots.

Are there rules to check?

No formal public rule notice was verified for 2026, though listings report occasional police or coast guard attention, so check locally before launching.

Are there kite schools nearby?

Jeddah Kitesurfing School Super Kite Day, Kite Jump School, Water Sports Arabia and the Jeddah Kite Riders Club operate in the area.

Last updated: August 2026