The Red Sea is having a moment in Saudi Arabia, and travelers don't need to wait a decade to experience it. While the larger vision won't be complete until 2030, the project is already live, with 11 luxury properties now welcoming guests along the Kingdom's coastline.
This isn't just another resort cluster. Red Sea Global and Kingdom Holding Company are building something genuinely different: a sustainability-focused destination across roughly 90 islands nestled between Umluj and Al Wajh. The final vision calls for around 50 hotels, 8,000 rooms, and more than 1,000 residential properties. The developers project roughly one million visitors annually by the end of the decade, all while running on renewable energy and recycled water systems.
"It's a place where nature, sustainability, hospitality, and unique experiences actually coexist," Stephen Cheesebrough, Head of Development at Red Sea Global, explained to Euronews. The geography backs this up. The region stacks coral reefs, deserts, volcanic peaks, and white sand beaches within a surprisingly compact footprint. That means divers, golfers, hikers, sailors, and surfers can all find their activity without sprawling across hours of travel. Add in marinas, restaurants, and retail spaces, and the appeal becomes obvious.
What's Open Right Now
The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Red Sea at Shura Island opened in May 2026 with 149 rooms and 31 residences, all surrounded by water and designed around the architectural language of historic desert trade routes. But that's just the start.
Current options across the islands include The Red Sea EDITION on Shura Island, SLS The Red Sea also on Shura, InterContinental The Red Sea Resort on Shura, and the adults-only Miraval The Red Sea on Shura Island. Island hoppers can book The St. Regis Red Sea Resort on Ummmahat Island or Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, also on Ummmahat. For inland adventures, Six Senses Southern Dunes spreads across the desert, while Desert Rock offers a mountain resort experience. Shebara rounds out the island experience, and Turtle Bay Hotel anchors the mainland option.
Getting There Actually Works
Creating a world-class destination means nothing if travelers can't reach it. The Red Sea International Airport already connects the region to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai, Doha, and Milan. In the first half of 2026 alone, it handled over 78,000 passengers, including more than 11,000 from overseas. The team is in active talks with several European airlines to expand those connections.
The upgraded Al Wajh International Airport adds another entry point just 45 minutes away by electric vehicle (or 20 minutes by seaplane) from the AMAALA resort. Saudia operates three weekly flights from Riyadh and two from Jeddah, making ground access straightforward.
If you're considering Saudi Arabia as a travel destination, the country's new package visa system bundles transportation and accommodations into a single application, which simplifies logistics considerably for international travelers.
The Timeline and What's Still Coming
Phase openings will continue rolling out over the next few years, gradually building toward that 2030 completion. Each new resort adds different experiences and caters to different travel styles, so the destination keeps evolving. By the end of the decade, this archipelago could compete with any major luxury destination on the planet.
The ambitious scale of the project echoes other transformative tourism developments happening globally. Like how Sentosa Island is getting its biggest overhaul in decades, the Red Sea project signals a shift toward more intentional, sustainability-conscious development. Travelers are becoming pickier about where their money goes, and Europe's travelers especially are pickier than ever about responsible tourism options.
The Red Sea isn't a far-off promise anymore. It's bookable, it's operational, and it's expanding. Whether you're diving into coral ecosystems, exploring mountain terrain, or relaxing at a world-class spa, the pieces are falling into place faster than anyone expected. The destination is happening now, not in some distant future.
