Travelers are running out of fresh places to see, but there may be one hidden treasure in plain sight.
The Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia spans for almost a thousand kilometers, from the northern border with Jordan in the Gulf of Aqaba to Yemen in the far south.
Outside of major cities like Jeddah, much of it is undeveloped shoreline with turquoise sea, outlying islands, unspoiled beaches, and coral reefs.
As part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goal to diversify the economy, reduce reliance on oil revenue, and enact social reform, a number of ultra-luxury schemes, billed as the pinnacle of eco-consciousness by government-funded developers, are already underway on the Red Sea’s coastlines.
“It’s really exciting to see this opening up to the rest of the world,” says Firas Jundi, Middle East regional manager for PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors.
“I grew up in Saudi Arabia and began diving there in 1989, when the north was only accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles.”
“When you get to the shore, it’s pristine, untouched, and clear, like a huge swimming pool full of fish.”
“Because this has never been a diving destination, you can imagine how safe the coral is.”
Several colors of blue
The Red Sea region has 28,000 square kilometers of shoreline and 90 offshore islands around 300 miles north of Jeddah, while AMAALA, located farther north in the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Natural Reserve, is one of Saudi Arabia’s “giga” projects.
According to developers, they will include boutique resorts with a variety of water sports and other activities such as arts, culture, and education centered on the sea, desert, dunes, and mountains.
The upcoming Red Sea International Airport, which is anticipated to begin accepting domestic flights in 2023, will provide service to both.
According to Rosanna Chopra, executive director of destination development for Red Sea Global, the umbrella development company for the projects that is owned by Saudi Arabia’s government-controlled Public Investment Fund (PIF), “when I first came here and went out to the islands and saw about seven shades of blue, I thought, ‘how many shades of blue can you get in the sea?'”
“Even now, I ask myself, ‘What on Earth is this glorious place, and why has it been kept such a secret for so long?'”
It’s like a fantasy realm with the islands, the marine life, and the dolphins. The burden of attempting to protect it truly overwhelms you because there is a reason why it is so amazing, priceless, and lovely.
“We can’t rush this; we need to act responsibly and effectively.”
Jundi has dived all along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline and thinks there is a lot of room for tourism.
“When life stopped during Covid, the coral [elsewhere] had a break, and now that I’ve started diving again, I see a lot more marine life, bigger marine animals,” the diver stated.
That provides you a sense of how it might appear in a location that hasn’t been made available for any sort of activity.
“It’s fantastic that they want to take their time. They do not wish to compete with Egypt as a popular tourist destination.
There are a lot of other enjoyable things to do in Saudi Arabia, which is full of historical sites and deserts, besides diving. I believe Saudi Arabia is attempting to promote a lot more than diving. Additionally, you can also read about- Top 5 Tips for Booking Spontaneous Travel During the Holidays
Hyper luxury
According to the developer, the Red Sea project would develop 22 of the 90 islands between the cities of Umluj and Al-Wajh and will be powered by 100% renewable energy. It is expected to have 50 hotels, 8,000 rooms, and up to 1,000 residential complexes by 2030.
According to Chopra, “regenerative” tourism is the keyword, with programs focused at traveling responsibly, maintaining and improving the local community and environment, and providing transforming experiences for visitors.
“I think luxury travel is being redefined,” Chopra says.
The Ummahat Islands’ sandy slivers will welcome the first of The Red Sea developments, which will open in late 2023. The St. Regis Red Sea Resort, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, will be a water sports hub with lodging in villas on land and above water.
A dive center will be available at Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve on Ummahat.
Shura Island, a 30-minute drive from the airport and connected by a 1.2-kilometer bridge, would serve as a hub island with 11 low-rise resorts designed to look like coral washed up on the shore.
A golf course, a marina, shopping, and restaurants will be available.
Desert Rock and Southern Dunes, two inland resorts, will take use of the natural beauty near the shore.
Sheybarah, 45 minutes by boat from the island, is being marketed by developers as a hyper-luxury, self-sustaining resort with a stretch of over-water pods designed by architecture firm Killa Design to resemble a diver’s bubbles.
“I dare anyone not to look at that water and wonder, ‘How can I go into it, under it, over it?’ – they’re going to want to be a part of it,” Chopra says.
Triple Bay, a wellness “hub” and a center for watersports and other activities, will be the first phase of development at AMAALA.
A marina will serve the international yachting community, and the Marine Life Institute will serve as both a scientific research facility and a tourism destination, with 10 zones ranging from augmented reality experiences to underwater walkways, submersibles, and night diving.
‘People will be astonished’
Triple Bay is set to open in 2024, with additional offshore islands and coastal development to follow. When completed, AMAALA will have over 3,000 hotel rooms spread among 25 hotels and around 900 villas and residences, all powered by 100% renewable energy and functioning with a zero-carbon footprint, according to the developers.
Seaplanes, boats, and electric vehicles will transport visitors from the new airport to their resorts in The Red Sea and AMAALA, with bags checked through to their destination.
“Our job is to open it up intelligently,” Chopra explains. “It’s not just learning to sail, kite surf, or foil; it’s also learning to respect the sea.” Mother Nature is bigger than any of us, and the more you appreciate her, the more you will enjoy the water’s playground.
“We want you to leave feeling that you’ve not only contributed to the regeneration of our coral reefs and planet, but that you’ve also regenerated as a human, which is a very difficult thing to manufacture or retrofit into another destination.” Exploring this place under natural power will be a truly astounding experience for people.”
Developers have set a limit of one million visitors each year at The Red Sea and 500,000 in Amaala, although it’s unclear whether that limit will be sufficient. Will tourists visit Saudi Arabia given the country’s human rights record?
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“Absolutely, I believe tourists will come,” Jundi, who was born in Syria but now lives in the UAE, adds.
“I travel to Saudi three times a year, and you’ll start to feel the diversity that is happening with this new vision.”
“Like many countries that have had periods of time that were troubling and confusing to other countries, we must all live in a world where people can evolve, and I can’t champion the youth of the kingdom enough,” Chopra concluded.
“When they arrive, they will be astounded. The Saudis’ kindness will knock them off their feet.”