Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea will welcome another new addition to its luxury travel destinations next year with the launch of the first Miraval resort outside the United States.
Miraval The Red Sea will open on Shaura Island, the central feature of the Red Sea Development Project.
The Hyatt-owned brand is bringing its mindful wellness concept to the kingdom with a 4,000-square-metre spa with 39 treatment rooms, a network of walking trails, mangrove boardwalk and temperature-controlled swimming pools with views over the Red Sea.
The 180-room resort includes 20 private villas and is spread over 310,000-square-metres. It is being designed by British architects Foster+Partners, the same company behind some of the world's most forward-thinking destinations, such as Shanghai's The Bund Finance Centre, the Index Tower in Dubai's DIFC and Sharjah's House of Wisdom.
Guests can expect to check in to a relaxing haven inspired by the untouched nature surrounding the resort. It is being designed to cocoon guests in a space that encourages creativity, relaxation and mindfulness.
The high-end luxury wellness resort will open as part of phase one of the Red Sea project in the kingdom, which is expected to be up and running by the end of 2023.
Home to the largest spa on the Red Sea
The Life in Balance Spa will be the largest spa in the Red Sea region and offer Miraval’s most popular signature spa experiences. It will also introduce new treatments inspired by the destination and its local heritage and culture.
Travellers will also be able to join activities in purposed-designed rooms that will be set up for art, creative expression, music, wellness lectures, and hands-on workshops, each led by Miraval specialists.
A central dining room will be home to the resort’s culinary kitchen and a marketplace offering healthy cuisine. Guests can take part in cooking classes, nutritional sessions and mindful eating workshops, designed to help promote a balanced lifestyle.
The boutique wellness resort joins Hyatt's three existing Miraval properties in Austin, Arizona and Massachusetts.
The Red Sea is one of the world’s most ambitious coastal tourism projects, spread across 200 kilometres of untouched shoreline and an archipelago of more than 90 islands. Miraval The Red Sea will join The Grand Hyatt Red Sea, which is also under development to open at the site.
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 1
Mata 11'
Chelsea 1
Alonso 43'
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
