King Fahd's Fountain

King Fahd's Fountain

Jeddah Fountain
The fountain illuminated at night
Year	1985 (1985)
Type	Fountain
Location	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Coordinates	21°30′56″N 39°8′42″E / 21.51556°N 39.14500°E / 21.51556; 39.14500Coordinates: 21°30′56″N 39°8′42″E / 21.51556°N 39.14500°E / 21.51556; 39.14500

King Fahd's Fountain, also known as the Jeddah Fountain, is the tallest of its type of fountain in the world.^[1]

Overview

The fountain was donated to the city of Jeddah by King Fahd, hence its name. It was constructed between 1980 and 1983 and was launched in 1985.^[2]

Located in the coast of Jeddah, west coast of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The fountain jets water to a maximum height of, according to different sources, either 853 feet (260 m)^[3][4][5]or 1,024 feet (312 m)^[1] above the Red Sea. (Even at the lower figure, King Fahd's Fountain would easily be the world's tallest; the second-tallest is the Gateway Geyser in East St. Louis, Illinois, USA with a water height of about 630 feet (192 m).)

The fountain is visible throughout the entire vicinity of Jeddah. The water it ejects can reach a speed of 375 kilometres (233 mi) per hour and its airborne mass can exceed 18 short tons (16,000 kg).^[1] The fountain uses saltwater taken from the Red Sea instead of freshwater. It uses over 500 spotlights to illuminate the fountain at night.

References