Greetings
السلام عليكم
as-salaamu alaykum
Peace be upon you — the universal greeting. Reply 'wa alaykum as-salaam'. In Jeddah it is often followed straight away by 'kayfak?' with none of Riyadh's formality.
Daily life
إيش
eesh
'What' — the Hejazi word. Riyadh says 'wesh'. Using 'eesh' in Jeddah and 'wesh' in Riyadh is the fastest way to sound like you have actually lived in each place.
دحين
da-HEEN
'Now' — distinctly Hejazi, where the rest of the Kingdom says 'al-heen' or 'tawwa'. Often means 'in a while'.
Culture
البلد
al-BA-lad
Literally 'the town' — but in Jeddah it means one thing only: the UNESCO-listed historic district. Nobody calls it 'Historic Jeddah' in conversation.
روشان
ROW-shaan
The carved wooden bay window projecting from an old Jeddah house — the signature of Red Sea architecture. Plural 'rawasheen'.
Food
مطبق
mu-TAB-baq
'Folded' — a thin dough parcel stuffed with spiced mince or banana, griddled on a hot plate. Hejazi street food, best eaten standing up after dark.
فول وتميس
fool wa ta-MEES
Stewed fava beans with flat tandoor bread — the standard Jeddah breakfast, eaten communally from one dish with bread instead of cutlery.
Social
الله يعطيك العافية
allah yaʿteek al-ʿaafiya
'May God give you wellness' — the everyday thank-you to anyone who has done work for you: a driver, a barista, a colleague finishing a shift.
تكفى
tik-fa
A weighted 'please' used when you are genuinely asking a favour. It carries obligation, so use it sparingly rather than as a politeness filler.
Work
إقامة
i-QAA-ma
Your residence permit. It is the master key — no bank account, SIM, driving licence, lease or family sponsorship exists without it, and everything is indexed to its number.
Emergency
الطوارئ ٩١١
at-tawaari' 911
Emergencies — 911 is live across Makkah Province including Jeddah and routes police, ambulance and civil defence. Say your district and nearest landmark; street addressing is weak.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.