Red Sea tips

The Board of Directors of NEOM has unveiled Siranna, an exclusive tourism escape, and the latest destination to be announced by the sustainable regional development evolving in northwest Saudi Arabia.

Six Senses Southern Dunes, the Red Sea has officially opened in Saudi Arabia.

Developers plan for the whole site to run on 100 per cent solar energy and send zero waste to landfill. They’re also capping the amount of visitors at one million a year.

Red Sea Global (RSG) has said it will operate its own luxury hotel brand at The Red Sea destination, Shebara. The hospitality destination is expected to open in summer 2024 and is expected to be the first resort to be owned and operated by RSG at The Red Sea destination. Taking shape at Sheybarah Island in the Al Wajh Lagoon, the resort is home to stainless steel orbs, and is now actively recruiting a world-class operational team ahead of opening.

Saudi Arabian development group Red Sea Global has created its own luxury hotel brand called Shebara. The Shebara brand will be deployed for the upcoming Sheybarah Island resort – seen as the most exclusive of the current 16-property lineup in the archipelago development.

Saudi Arabia has laid out its ambition to build a hotel of such magnitude, allure and luxury, that travelers from the world over will come to see it. In Dubai, the emirate has the two Atlantis resorts, between them almost 2,000 rooms. In the US, historic hotels such as The Plaza sit in New York and mega-resorts fill the Las Vegas strip. But in Saudi a set of three boutique hotels will be the “global bucket list” destination of choice.

Saudi billionaire and royal family member Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud has snapped up a 50% stake in the upcoming Four Seasons resort in the ultra-luxurious Red Sea project in Saudi Arabia for $266 million, according to a release from Red Sea Global.

The Red Sea Global may not have very ambitious visitor numbers, but it is looking at India as a crucial source market. Speaking about Red Sea Global’s interest in the Indian market, Reema Almokhtar, director – travel trade marketing, tells Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about how they are looking to deliver value to Indian tourists.

As the crisis in Gaza deepens, efforts to evacuate tourists from Israel have been heightened. On Monday, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship assisted in evacuating US nationals from Israel to Cyprus; meanwhile, US government charter flights continue operating out of Ben Gurion Airport (located near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem) to take American tourists home.

The new Saudi Expert program is an added tool to help travel advisors sell Saudi Arabia. It is a go-to resource that will help increase your business' exposure to business and leisure tourism opportunities within the Kingdom. 

For a long time, perhaps the only comparison one could draw between Monaco and Gulf capital Saudi Arabia was a lack of personal income tax. Now, Saudi is looking to become a bit more like Monaco when it comes to its lavish yachting industry.

The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, referred to as “MBS” by the media, won’t slow down his spending to reshape his kingdom and boost tourism. His immense projects have been met with scrutiny overseas, but in the future, he wants to develop nearly 600 islands along the coast, according to his interview on Wednesday with Fox News, his first fully in English.

Saudia will become the first airline to operate in and out of the Red Sea International airport (RSI). This is after the airline signed an MoU with the Red Sea Global (RSG) and daa International.

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The next generation of Saudi Arabian hotels is coming, marked by the opening of the Kingdom’s multi-billion-dollar giga-projects. Marriott is showing what is possible at these spare-no-expense properties: Asking for the highest room rates in the country.

After days of hiking, there’s no better reward than diving into the cool waters of the sea, reflecting on the journey, and looking forward to the next adventure.

The Middle East is leading international travel recovery in the fourth quarter as inbound arrivals to the region witnessed an increase of 4 percent, long ahead of the global average of a decrease of 30 percent, according to travel analytics firm ForwardKeys. “The FIFA World Cup is certainly the key driver for its travel recovery,” said Juan Gomez, head of market intelligence at ForwardKeys. The latest air ticketing data by ForwardKeys also shows that international arrival levels may be back to normal in 2023, with travel to the Middle East up by 15 percent on pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter. Overall, the outlook for 2023 looks promising, despite high inflation in key source markets and the looming recession, FowardKeys noted. The Middle East is also attracting more premium travellers than in 2019, the travel analytics firm noted with Saudi Arabia showing the greatest growth. Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon are also showing growth, with a regional average of 11  percent above 2019.

Sudan’s sudden slide into conflict between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group has stranded thousands of foreigners, including diplomats and aid workers, and countries are working to evacuate their nationals.

Red Sea Global, a company fully owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is exploring the possibility of a public market offering, with plans to launch as early as 2026.

Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind The Red Sea and Amaala in Saudi Arabia, has launched an adventure travel brand for guests aimed at offering unique sporting activities at its destinations.

Habitas, a luxury travel lodging and experiences company, may add up to six properties in Saudi Arabia through a planned $400 million (1.5 billion riyals) fund with financial support from the kingdom’s investment community.