The Red Sea Project (), simply referred to as the Red Sea (), is a regenerative tourism

megaproject A megaproject is an extremely large-scale construction and investment project. A more general definition is "Megaprojects are temporary endeavours (i.e. projects) characterised by: large investment commitment, vast complexity (especially in org ...

on the

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

coast of

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

. The project, which is developed by

Public Investment Fund The Public Investment Fund (PIF; ) is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. It is among the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world with total estimated assets of billion. It was created in 1971 for the purpose of investing funds on be ...

-owned Red Sea Global, forms part of the

Saudi Vision 2030 Saudi Vision 2030 (, sometimes called Project 2030) is a government program launched by Saudi Arabia which aims to achieve the goal of increased diversification economically, socially, and culturally, in line with the vision of Saudi crown pri ...

program. The project was announced by the Saudi crown prince

Mohammad bin Salman Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (; born 31 August 1985), also known as MBS or MbS, is the '' de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, formally serving as Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He is the heir apparent to the Saudi throne, ...

in July 2017. On completion in 2030, the Red Sea aims to have 50 hotels with 8,000 rooms, and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and 6 inland sites.

Location

The project is located on the west coast of Saudi Arabia in a 28,000 km² area in

Tabuk province Tabuk Province, also known as Tabuk Region ( '), is a province in Saudi Arabia, located along the northwestern coast of the country, facing Egypt across the Red Sea. It also borders Jordan to the north. History The history of Tabuk province ...

between the cities of

Umluj Umluj () is one of the governorates in Tabuk Region, Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsul ...

and

Al-Wajh Al Wajh (), also written Al Wejh, is a coastal city in north-western Saudi Arabia, situated on the coast of the Red Sea. The city is located in the Tabuk Province. It is one of the largest cities in Tabuk region, with a population of 50,000 as of ...

. The area includes more than 90 unspoiled offshore islands, 200km of coastline on the Red Sea, beaches, desert, mountains and volcanoes. This also incorporates the Al Wajh lagoon, a pristine 2,081 km² area that includes valuable habitats (coral reefs, seagrass, and mangroves) and species of global conservation importance.

History

The project was announced by

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

Mohammed bin Salman Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (; born 31 August 1985), also known as MBS or MbS, is the ''de facto'' ruler of the Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, formally serving as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Sa ...

in July 2017 as one of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030

projects A project is a type of assignment, typically involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a specific objective. An alternative view sees a project managerially as a sequence of events: a "set of interrelated tasks to be ...

to diversify the

Saudi economy The economy of Saudi Arabia is highly reliant on its petroleum sector. Oil accounts for approximately 30% of Saudi GDP and 55% of government revenue, with substantial fluctuations depending on oil prices each year. The kingdom has the seco ...

away from

fossil fuels A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geologica ...

. The project is developed by Red Sea Global, one of the various companies founded by the

, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. Construction began at The Red Sea in February 2019 and was expected to be completed by 2030. The first three hotels were expected to open in 2023, while 16 hotels, the Red Sea International Airport, a yachting marina, historical sites and recreation centers were expected to open in 2024. In November 2023, The Red Sea Project's first destination, Six Senses Southern Dunes, was opened for guests. In January 2024, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts opened The Red Sea Project's second destination, and its first island resort, in the Ummahat Islands archipelago. The following May, the Ummahat Islands welcomed its second hotel, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. In October 2024, Red Sea Global announced the opening of Shebara Resort the following November, making it the project’s fourth destination to start welcoming visitors. In December 2024, Desert Rock Resort became the second inland and the fifth overall destination to open its doors to guests.

Destinations

The Red Sea Project consists of 6 tourist destinations as of May 2025. Two of the destinations, Southern Dunes and Desert Rock, are located inland. The other four destinations are located on 4 of the 92-island archipelago.

Shura Island

Shura Island, also known as Shurayrah Island, is the hub island of The Red Sea Project. The island is home to Coral Bloom, the project's most ambitious construction project. Coral Bloom was launched in February 2021 by crown prince

. The project is designed by

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

-based architecture firm

Foster + Partners Foster and Partners (also Foster + Partners) is a British international architecture firm with its headquarters in London, England. It was founded in 1967 by British architect and designer Norman Foster. The firm has been involved in the design ...

. The island will host 11 hotels from various brands, including

Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational corporation, multinational hospitality company headquartered in the 150 North Riverside, Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchise ...

, Fairmont,

InterContinental InterContinental Hotels & Resorts by IHG is a British-American luxury hotel brand created in 1946 by Pan Am founder Juan Trippe. It has been part of UK-based InterContinental Hotels Group since 1998. As of January 2023, there were 208 InterC ...

Rosewood Rosewood is any of a number of richly hued hardwoods, often brownish with darker veining, but found in other colours. It is hard, tough, strong, and dense. True rosewoods come from trees of the genus '' Dalbergia'', but other woods are often ca ...

Jumeirah Jumeirah ( Emirati pronunciation: ) is a coastal residential area of Dubai, United Arab Emirates mainly comprising low rise private dwellings and hotel developments. It has both expensive and large detached properties as well as more modest town ...

, Faena, Raffles, Miraval, Edition, and SLS. In addition, it will include Shura Links, Saudi Arabia's first 18-hole

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...

and clubhouse. The 7,500 yard course was designed by Brian Curley, with the clubhouse designed by

and is expected to open in 2025. Shura is linked to the mainland by Saudi Arabia's longest water bridge, which stretches a total of 1.2 km. The bridge was designed and constructed by

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

-based construction firm Archirodon. In October 2023, Red Sea Global signed a $533 million deal with

Kingdom Holding Company The Kingdom Holding Company (KHC; ) is a Saudi conglomerate holding company, based in Riyadh. The KHC is a publicly listed company on the Tadāwul (Saudi stock exchange). The KHC consists of a team of experienced investment specialists dire ...

to open a Four Seasons resort on the island. The hotel is expected to open in early 2025.

Ummahat Islands

The Ummahat Islands archipelago, also known as Ummhat Alshaikh Islands, hosts both St. Regis Red Sea Resort and Nujuma, a Ritz Carlton Reserve. Both are accessible via a

seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tech ...

or a chartered boat. The St. Regis Red Sea Resort was the first island destination to start welcoming guest in the Red Sea Project in January 2024. The 90-key resort was designed by

Kengo Kuma is a Japanese architect and emeritus professor in the Department of Architecture (Graduate School of Engineering) at the University of Tokyo. Frequently compared to contemporaries Shigeru Ban and Kazuyo Sejima, Kuma is also noted for his prolif ...

. The 63-key Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, opened in May 2024 as the most expensive hotel in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

, costing around $3,431 a night. It is the seventh Ritz-Carlton property within the Reserve sub-brand and the first to be located in the Middle East. The Reserve has 63 luxury villas, each with a sea view private pool. Nujuma was designed by

. In March 2025, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve was named the best new hotel by

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

Sheybarah Island

Sheybarah Island is home to Shebara Resort, a 73-room luxury hotel that is managed by a hotel brand created by Red Sea Global named "Red Sea Global Hospitality". The resort consists of overwater reflective stainless steel villas made in the shape of orbs, designed by

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

-based architecture firm Killa Design. The resort opened its doors in November 2024. The 150-ton villas were created by Grankraft in

Sharjah Sharjah (; ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is the capital of the Emirate of Sharjah and forms part of the D ...

, then transported to the island and installed by Mammoet. Shebara was featured in the 2025 "World's Greatest Places" list by

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Cit ...

Southern Dunes

Six Senses Southern Dunes is an inland resort located in Alnesai desert, almost a 100 km northeast of the town of

. The resort includes 40 villas and a 36-room hotel complex. Southern Dunes was the first Red Sea Project destination to start welcoming visitors in November 2023. Southern Dunes was designed by

Desert Rock

Desert Rock is a 64-key inland luxury resort of villas and hotel rooms built into granite mountains. The resort officially opened bookings starting from 11 December 2024. Desert Rock was designed by

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

-based

Oppenheim Architecture Oppenheim Architecture is an architecture, planning, and interior practice based in Miami, New York, and Basel founded in 1999 by Chad Oppenheim. The firm has received multiple distinctions, including over 45 AIA Awards. Projects range between hos ...

Laheq Island

Laheq Island, also known as Abu Laheq Island, is a 400-hectare private residential island. The announcement of Laheq in April 2025 marked the beginning of the second phase of the Red Sea Project. The island is expected to open in 2028. The main feature of the island is "The Ring", an 800-meter structure encircling the island’s lagoon, housing luxury apartments, hotels, and retail spaces. The island was designed by

Transportation

The Red Sea Project can be accessed via the Red Sea International Airport, a dedicated airport set to be fully completed in 2025. The airport received its first flight in September 2023 by

Saudia Saudia (), formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines (), is the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia based in Jeddah. The airline's main hubs are the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the ...

from

King Khalid International Airport King Khalid International Airport (; ) is an international airport located about north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This airport consists of five Airport terminal, passenger terminals with eight aero-bridges each, a mosque, and parking facilities ...

Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

. The first international flight to the airport was by

flydubai Dubai Aviation Corporation (), doing business as flydubai (), is an Emirati government-owned airline based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The airline mainly operates out of Terminal 2 at Dubai International Airport, though some flights fly out ...

from

Dubai International Airport Dubai International Airport () is the primary international airport serving Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic as of 2024. It is also the busiest airport in the Middle East as ...

in April 2024. The airport, whose curved design is inspired by sand dunes, was designed by

. Upon arrival to the airport,

Lucid Air The Lucid Air is a Battery electric vehicle, battery electric four-door luxury Sedan (automobile), sedan made by Lucid Motors. The car was announced in December 2016 and sold starting in 2021. The Dream Edition's United States Department of En ...

electric vehicles An electric vehicle (EV) is a motor vehicle whose propulsion is powered fully or mostly by electricity. EVs encompass a wide range of transportation modes, including road vehicle, road and rail vehicles, electric boats and Submersible, submer ...

are used to transport visitors to their destinations. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the

, owns over 60% stake at

Lucid Motors Lucid Group, Inc., is an American automotive and technology company that manufactures electric vehicles and supplies advanced electric vehicle powertrain systems. The company is headquartered in Newark, California. In September 2021, the compa ...

. The Red Sea Project includes Saudi Arabia's largest off-grid charging network, which has 150 charging stations to serve its initial fleet of 80 Lucid Air and

Mercedes-Benz EQS The Mercedes-Benz EQS (V297) is a battery electric full-size luxury liftback car produced by German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz Group.Mercedes-Benz It was released in September 2021 in Germany and the fourth quarter of 2021 in the Uni ...

EVs. A 400-MW solar

microgrid A microgrid is a local electrical grid with defined electrical boundaries, acting as a single and controllable entity. It is able to operate in grid-connected and off-grid modes.

with 1.3 GWh

battery Battery or batterie most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source * Battery indicator, a device whic ...

is being built to supply the area. Some island sites, such as Ummahat islands, are only accessible via

yachts A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...

and

seaplanes A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their technological characterist ...

. Red Sea Global established Saudi Arabia's first seaplane company, Fly Red Sea, which will transport visitors to the islands using an initial fleet of 4

Cessna Caravan 208 The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA ...

seaplanes.

Promotion

In March 2024, famous

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player

Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Saudi Pr ...

, which at the time was a player for the Saudi team

Al Nassr Al-Nassr Football Club () is a professional football club based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The club competes in the Saudi Pro League, the top tier of the Saudi football league system. Al-Nassr is one of only three clubs to have participated ...

, visited St. Regis Red Sea Resort in the Red Sea destination. Ronaldo promoted the destination on his

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

account, which at the time had more the 600 million followers. The following June, he visited Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, shortly after it started welcoming visitors. In April 2024, Red Sea Global announced a collaboration with

Warner Bros. Discovery Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Outline of entertainment, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It was formed from WarnerMedi ...

to produce a documentary titled "Beneath the Surface: The Fight for Corals".

References

{{Reflist Tourist attractions in Saudi Arabia Tabuk Province Economy of Saudi Arabia Planned communities in Saudi Arabia Proposed infrastructure in Saudi Arabia Sustainability

External links

Red Sea GlobalNujuma, a Ritz Carlton ReserveThe St. Regis Red Sea ResortSix Senses Southern DunesShebara ResortDesert Rock