Jizan - Hotel & Compound

There is no compound in Jizan. At least not a compound like you are thinking of, such as would be found in Jeddah or Riyadh, etc. Your employer may put you in company-owned or company rented buildings which they may  call "compounds," but they aren't.  They're just buildings rented for company employees to stay in.   As far as hotels, I can recommend the Al Bhorg Hotel. It's very nice, and has a great Red Sea view from the condo lving rooms. It has wifi, a restaurant, a small gym in the basement, and is right across from a sea-side corniche.  Sorry, I don't have any phone number or website but I'm sure you can google them up.  Jizan is small. You can drive through it from end to end in about 5 minutes.

Dave-KSA. Thanks for the info. I'll certainly look up the hotel. What are the attractions in Jizan if any?

In terms of travel to other parts of KSA ie. Riyadh, Jeddah, Mecca Medina and to other places in the Gulf, what is the best method? Is NASAIR the only airline that flies out of Jizan?

Apologies for asking so many questions but this is my first time in KSA and cannot get much info on Jizan.

Regarding the airlines that flies from and to Jizan is Nas and Saudi Airlines.

I don't know what about interesting issues in Jizan but most welcome for any other questions.

Nazir,
     Saudi Arabian airlines services Jizan with multiple flights daily to Jeddah, which is the main hub from Jizan. There's also flights to Riyadh from Jizan but they're less frequent; maybe 1 or 2 per day, compared to 4 or 5 daily from Jizan to Jeddah.  I think (but not sure) that to get to any other city in KSA, you would need to connect in one of those two major hubs.
Jizan is very ordinary. There's no attractions per se in the city. It's main claim to fame is just being on the Red Sea. There are some nearby islands one can take a ferry to and visit, and some of my co-workers have taken up fishing, snorkeling and diving. Although it's relatively boring in itself, being next to the sea sure beats being in the middle of a landlocked desert like Riyadh and other cities.  One day Jizan will be a big boom town, because the Jazan Economic City (about 80 km away) is being built, and once it's completed, Jizan will be the premier place to live (see youtube videos); however for now, it's still just a small fishing town.  The cost of living here is cheap, so you can save money compared to Jeddah and Riyadh, according to some co-workers who have previously worked in those cities.  Jizan doesn;t have enough western expats in it to warrant a compound being built. Your company will either give you a housing allowance and you'll live out on the economy or else they will have previously mentioned buildings which they have bought or rented, for you to stay in free of charge. I save most of my salary, food being the only expense except for holidays of course.  Jizan is the smallest province in KSA and is relatively poor in comparison with other cities.  The locals tell me that it was once part of Yemen, and that KSA annexed it about 70 years ago after a border war. Hence, ite population is largely Yemeni stock to varying degrees.  Hopes this helps. Take care.

Dave-KSA : excellent response and once again thank you. I was hoping for frequent flights to Jeddah as my colleagues from UK will be flying to Jeddah enroute to Tabouk, so this means I can join them.

Fishing, snorkeling, diving - sounds good to me.

OK drop me a line with any further info needed. Take care.

Dave-KSA: Are there any Car Rentals in Jizan?

Yes there are car rentals. Check at the airport when you arrive. They have a booth there somewhere and also dealerships in the town have them. Sorry I don't have phone numbers or emails because I use employer transportation but I know that some people rent/lease cars there.

Hi Dave

I'm coming over to Jizan next week for a short visit to seek accommodation etc. I cannot locate a telephone number for the Jizan Inn and was wondering if you could help.

Thanks

I will ask around for you. You can try to google it up, as well.

Dave - I located a contact number for the Jizan Inn.

I am in Tabuk today with my colleagues and will be arriving in Jizan tomorrow (19/09/2011).