Three Shura Island hotels open in September as Red Sea project expands in Saudi Arabia

The Red Sea Edition, InterContinental The Red Sea Resort and SLS The Red Sea offer overwater villas, eco-friendly practices and a 'barefoot lifestyle'

The design of InterContinental The Red Sea Resort is inspired by coral reefs. Photo: Red Sea Global

Three luxury resorts are set to welcome the first guests later this month on Saudi Arabia's Shura Island, the main hub of the eco-focused Red Sea megaproject. The three properties – The Red Sea Edition, InterContinental The Red Sea Resort and SLS The Red Sea – are among 11 high-end hotels due to open in coming months. Exact opening dates are yet to be announced.

Shura Links, an 18-hole luxury golf course and the first island golf course in Saudi Arabia, will also open this month.

SLS The Red Sea at Shura Island, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Red Sea Global

Other properties set to open include hotels by Faena, Fairmont, Four Seasons, Grand Hyatt, Jumeirah, Miraval, Raffles and Rosewood.

Developed by Foster + Partners, Shura Island's striking resorts include everything from eco-friendly properties carved into the mountains to futuristic overwater villas and new mangrove habitats.

The Red Sea Edition will offer 240 rooms, including 53 suites, as well as access to watersports and golf, while the SLS The Red Sea will feature 150 luxurious rooms and villas, including beachfront options.

At the InterContinental The Red Sea Resort, meanwhile, guests will be encouraged to adopt a “barefoot lifestyle” with the luxury property's design inspired by the surrounding coral reefs.

Red Sea Edition offers beachfront and overwater villas. Photo: Red Sea Global

Guests will arrive either by boat or by electric vehicle across the 3.3km Shura crossing, Saudi Arabia’s longest internal bridge, that connects the island from the mainland.

Red Sea International Airport, the main gateway to the resorts, opened in 2023 and already welcomes several domestic and international flights daily.

Naturally shaped like a dolphin, Shura Island is the heart of the Red Sea. Its resorts have been conceived to blend seamlessly with the island’s natural surroundings with minimal environmental impact. At Shura Links, too, sustainability is a focus, with water management and eco-friendly practices integral to its design and operation, developer Red Sea Global said. The whole island is also powered by renewable energy.

Clubhouse at Shura Links, an 18-hole luxury golf course. Photo: Red Sea Global

Besides resorts, the island will soon be home to a collection of exclusive residences with the first properties ready for handover at the end of 2025. Residents will have access to all of the island’s amenities, beaches and resorts.