The city is divided into three primary sections, which are located about fifteen minutes (drive by car) away from each other. Yanbu is the second largest Saudi Arabian city by the Red Sea, after Jeddah.
Yanbu Al-Balad
(Also known as Yanbu Al-Bahar) is the most northern part of Yanbu. The downtown area of Yanbu Al-Balad (which is also called Al-Balad) contains most of the population. Most of the restaurants here cater to the various ethnic groups in the area, although some also cater to residents in the Royal Commission. The area contains a few international chain restaurants, as well as some coffee shops. The Holiday Inn Hotel is located at the edge of this area, as is Yanbu Airport. Most of the residents tend to be lower and middle-class Saudi citizens, and well as mostly South Asian and lower and middle-class Arab and other Middle Eastern expatriates.
Currently, the government is attempting to improve the old, historical area in downtown Yanbu, as many historical buildings are located there. Many, unfortunately, are still in a serious state of disrepair. While most of Yanbu Al-Balad, has a rather old, worn-out feel to it, parts of the city, particularly at the edges of the city, are starting to modernize, as new shopping centers, as well as a new shopping mall, have been built. Jarir Bookstore had also opened a branch in Yanbu Al-Balad.
Yanbu Al-Nakhal
(The Palms) is a separate area has more than 20 villages such as Algabreih, Madsos, Alnejil and Talaat Nazah, some 47 kilometers from the city (according to Google Maps), where mostly farms would be found. Any residents here are exclusively Saudi Arabian. Most of the residents are local tribes ,mostly from Johainah (Aljohani) and few from Ashraf. They are working in their own farmers.
Yanbu Al-Sina'iya
Yanbu Al-Sina'iya (literally "the industrial Yanbu") is the industrial city, established in 1975 by royal decree to create a Royal Commission to manage the effort to build a new modern city. It is the most southern part of Yanbu city. Yanbu Al-Sina'iya is divided into two parts, the industrial area to the south, and a residential area (referred to as the Royal Commission by many locals) directly north and adjacent to the industrial area. The industrial area within Yanbu Al-Sina'iya is the area of all the major refineries and petrochemical installations, and is still undergoing major growth. This area of Yanbu was a strip of undeveloped coastal desert land on the Red Sea, and has been transformed into an industrial city.
Yanbu Al-Sina'iya's residential section is near the Royal Commission Headquarters. It has amenities such as many international chain restaurants, two shopping malls, supermarkets of various sizes, hospitals, banks, and coffee shops. The Moevenpick Hotel, Yanbu's newest hotel, is located here, as is The Cove, a gated private residential housing compound built around a large private lagoon. Yanbu Al Sinaiyah is home to Yanbu Industrial College, created for training and imparting knowledge for the students and workforce of the industry, and to Yanbu International School.
The majority of Yanbu's Western expatriate population is found living in the Royal Commission. The rest of the residents of Yanbu Al-Sina'iya tend to be upper-middle and upper-class Saudi citizens, upper-class Asians, and upper-class Arab and Middle Eastern residents. The residential area of Yanbu Al-Sina'iya has a more modern, clean, and organized feel to it than the downtown area. It is also greener.