Islands, canyons and volcanoes
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the project in 2017 on the Red Sea shore between Umluj and Al-Wajh, in Tabuk Province. Its 28,000 km² take in an archipelago of more than 90 islands, along with mountains, canyons, dormant volcanoes and desert. Development is limited to less than 1% of the total area.
The Public Investment Fund owns the project. Its developer, founded in 2018 as the Red Sea Development Company and now Red Sea Global, also develops AMAALA.
Opening in stages
Six Senses Southern Dunes welcomed the destination's first guests in 2023. The St. Regis Red Sea Resort, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and Turtle Bay Hotel followed in 2024, then Shebara and Desert Rock later that year. In 2025 came the first three resorts on Shura Island and the Shura Links golf course.
Red Sea International Airport handles regular domestic and international flights, about 70 a week.
Limits by design
Visitor numbers are capped at one million a year. Power comes from off-grid renewables, 760,000 solar panels with battery storage, and Red Sea Global targets a 30% net conservation gain across its destinations by 2040.