Party On Jeddah!

Hi friends,

Many apologies for taking so long to write something here. Since I’ve come to Jeddah, it’s been one thing or the other. This past Thursday there was an invitation to this Nakheel beach, which is about an hour’s drive away from Jeddah city. My dad’s company was sponsoring the Marine Educational Show, and so we all went to the ‘party.’ The timing of the function was from 10pm to 2am. We got there at 12 midnight.

Some of our other friends were also supposed to come, but they had a prior commitment to another “dance” party, where they were asked to bring “dancing shoes!” So, anyway, once we got to the beach, we had a quick dinner and then watched the show that was prepared for the night. There were several singers, male and female, who sang all sorts of songs, ranging from a religious Hindu song, to the latest Indian movie blockbuster, to a song out from Broadway to Celine Dion’s It’s All Coming Back To Me. There was a whole range of songs blasting from the loud speakers, and about 100 or so people were there. One of the singers sang partially in Arabic, and so that drew in the Arabs from their beach huts to join in on the dancing and singing.

We stayed till 2am, and there was clearly no sign of the party dying down. We left the beach compound, and it was a “reality check” for us. Thinking about it, I live in Jeddah, a supposedly conservative Saudi society, and yet here I was at this musical function, late into the night, in a mixed male-female gathering, listening to songs coming right out from the latest Indian movies! Is there something wrong with this picture? I don’t think so!

For as long as I can remember, there have been music and DJ parties being held in Jeddah. The earliest I can remember was when my class would have a disco party at the end of the school year. But, I know from my sister, that there are DJ parties held at the end of each school year, with each passing year proving to be bigger and better than previous years. These are parties where all these guys and girls get dressed up, have the best DJ, disco lights, food and drinks and happily dance the night away. Usually they are only restricted to females or males, but there have been occasions where DJ parties have been mixed. I have myself received copies of CDs of music which have been played at various DJ parties in Jeddah!

I tell you people, if you think Jeddah is a dead city, think again! If you have the right connections (wasta) you can get into all the latest music and dance parties! Party on Jeddah!

Mansur