Jeddah - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
There was visible dust in the air perhaps once a month, which could be quite high, and this likely caused relatively high allergy symptoms, but I never noticed a major impact on health. The air quality was better after rains, which happened quite frequently the year I lived there but which in general aren't that common. - Oct 2022
Hot and dusty but breathable. We do get high dust warnings and ask everyone to avoid outside activity when high. I'm from the Southwest and this is normal to me. - Aug 2022
Reasonable air quality for urban living, except during dust storms. - Nov 2020
The air wasn't the best quality, but I've yet to be at a post where someone hasn't complained about the air quality, so whatever. None of us have asthma; we were fine. - Oct 2019
Dust storms and pollution; again, I've seen worse, but I've seen better too. Humidity is a killer in Jeddah, and you have to have a dehumidifier to keep mold away. - Mar 2019
It does get dusty so people with allergies can struggle sometimes. - Jan 2019
Unhealthy. Terrible dust storms. - Apr 2016
not bad - Nov 2015
not too bad - Oct 2015
Bad. - Oct 2015
It's okay. Not great, but also not bad. It's very dusty, but we haven't had any health issues because of that. - Aug 2015
Dusty and humid. - Feb 2014
It's not great. Particularly in the summertime the skies are hazy with dust. Jeddah has a big water desalination plant that dumps brown smoke into the air all day every day. Dust storms are not common, but they happen. I imagine living here would have added challenges for those with respiratory issues. - Dec 2013
Occasional sandstorms can aggravate respiratory problems. Otherwise, skies are clear. - May 2013
Not unbearable. - Nov 2010
