PICS: SunGirl hits the streets of Saudi Arabia!

I HAVE been blessed with the opportunity to attend the third annual Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 

SunGirl Andiswa Ngenyane in the historic city of Jeddah, Old Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The festival begins on Thursday, 30 November, and the opening night will have the biggest red carpet, which will feature Hollywood's finest such as Will Smith, Michelle Williams, Zoe Saldana and Ed Westwick, among many others.

Old Jeddah was built in the 7th century as a major port for Indian Ocean trade routes, channelling goods to Mecca. It was also the gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca who arrived by sea.

As a journalist who enjoys covering the red carpet, even at home, I'm excited to be working on a red carpet that will have some of the world's biggest stars.

Old Jeddah was built in the 7th century as a major port for Indian Ocean trade routes, channelling goods to Mecca. It was also the gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca who arrived by sea.

Let me tell you a bit about my journey here. It started on Monday, 27 November, and I arrived in Jeddah on Tuesday, 28 November. 

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Old Jeddah was built in the 7th century as a major port for Indian Ocean trade routes, channelling goods to Mecca. It was also the gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca who arrived by sea.

Being my second time in this country made the journey a bit easier for me because it didn't feel new and scary.

Old Jeddah was built in the 7th century as a major port for Indian Ocean trade routes, channelling goods to Mecca. It was also the gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca who arrived by sea.

My eight-hour flight to Dubai International Airport, which the thought of just stressed me, didn't even feel long. When I landed, I had little time to galivant and see the beautiful airport because my flight from Joburg was delayed. I had to run through the airport because my flight to Jeddah was on the other side of the airport. Fortunately, I made it just in the nick of time.

Old Jeddah was built in the 7th century as a major port for Indian Ocean trade routes, channelling goods to Mecca. It was also the gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca who arrived by sea.

When I arrived in Jeddah, which was a three-hour flight from Dubai, I was exhausted.

I was placed in the same hotel I stayed in last year, and that really made it feel like home away from home, especially the next morning when I saw they were serving the same breakfast they had served last year. It really started to feel like I wasn't just a visitor.

Old Jeddah was built in the 7th century as a major port for Indian Ocean trade routes, channelling goods to Mecca. It was also the gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca who arrived by sea.

However, I was quickly reminded that I was indeed in a foreign land when I bought a cappuccino for R165 (33 Saudi Riyal).

That humbled me.

I also went to visit a historic place called the Old Jeddah. It was built in the 7th century, and it is also on the Unesco World Heritage List.

Old Jeddah was established as a major port for Indian Ocean trade routes, channelling goods to Mecca. It was also the gateway for Muslim pilgrims who arrived by sea to Mecca.

I am looking forward to sharing more about my journey in Saudi Arabia with the SunReaders.