Raffles has opened its third hotel in Saudi Arabia, and its first on Shura Island, the renewable-energy-powered resort hub taking shape off the Kingdom's Red Sea coast.
The new Raffles The Red Sea sits on the island's northwestern shore, wedged between a lagoon and the open sea. The property counts 121 rooms, 14 suites and 33 villas, all with private terraces facing the water, and all serviced by the brand's signature Butler Service — a tradition the company has been running for close to 140 years.
Getting there is part of the pitch. Guests fly into Red Sea International Airport, then cross the 3.3-kilometre Shura causeway by electric vehicle. The entire island runs on renewable energy, which sets it apart from most luxury beach destinations anywhere in the world.
Raffles isn't alone out there. It joins Miraval The Red Sea and the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Red Sea on the same island, part of Saudi Arabia's broader push to build a luxury tourism zone along the Red Sea coastline. Away from the resort, travellers will find Shura Links — the country's first 18-hole island golf course — plus a marina, Marina Village shops and restaurants, and diving and water sports in what the brand describes as one of the world's most remarkable marine environments.
Inside the hotel, interiors lean on coastal tones and light-filled spaces designed to blur the line between indoors and out. Five restaurants and lounges are already running, covering Asian flavours, Eastern Mediterranean shared-table dining and Arabian Peninsula heritage — standouts include Ni'ma and Siparaja, a nod to Raffles' Singaporean roots. A spa with seven treatment rooms, a hammam, sauna, steam rooms and pools is open too.
Worth knowing before you book: the resort is still rolling out in phases. Specialty restaurants, the bar, kids' and teens' centres and parts of the wellness offering arrive later, so early guests get a quieter, less complete version of the property.
There's also a cultural angle. A dedicated Raffles Curator runs programming around local art, literature, storytelling and craftsmanship — part of a wider effort to give the Red Sea project substance beyond sun loungers.
So who is this for? Travellers who've done the Maldives and want something genuinely new, with sustainability credentials that are more than marketing copy. It's less ideal right now for families wanting a fully loaded resort with every facility switched on — that'll take another phase or two. Raffles' CEO Omer Acar has framed the opening as a step in the brand's wider Saudi expansion, so expect more openings in the Kingdom as the Red Sea project matures.
