Raffles The Red Sea resort opens on Saudi Arabia’s Shura Island, with rooms from €1,098 a night

Raffles, the luxury brand born in Singapore in 1887, opened its first resort on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast on 14 October 2026. Raffles The Red Sea stretches along the north-west shore of Shura Island, between a lagoon and the open sea, with 168 rooms, suites and villas. The opening is happening in stages: the spa and several restaurants will follow later.

☰Contents

1. An island run entirely on renewable energy
2. 121 rooms, 14 suites and 33 villas
3. A Raffles butler for every room
4. Five venues, from Singapore to the Mediterranean
5. What to do before the seven-room spa opens?
6. Shura Links, Saudi Arabia’s first island golf

An island run entirely on renewable energy

Shura Island is the heart of The Red Sea, the destination that Saudi developer Red Sea Global is building on the kingdom’s west coast. The island runs entirely on renewable energy, and guests arrive from Red Sea International Airport by electric vehicle, via a 3.3-kilometre crossing. The resort is part of Coral Bloom, the masterplan drawn up by Foster + Partners to preserve the island’s natural contours. For the other addresses in the region, see our guide to the hotels of The Red Sea and AMAALA.

According to Red Sea Global, Raffles joins InterContinental, SLS, The EDITION, Four Seasons and Miraval on site, and five more resorts are expected in the coming months. Raed Albasseet, the group’s head of environment and sustainability, calls it “an important new milestone” for the destination.

121 rooms, 14 suites and 33 villas

Every room opens onto a private terrace facing the lagoon or the sea. The entry category, the Signature, measures 57 m², with a king-size bed or two queen-size beds; Junior Suites reach 86 m² and two-bedroom suites 171 m². Light interiors, textured materials and coastal tones bring the landscape indoors, according to the brand.

A Raffles butler for every room

The 33 villas make up the Raffles Residences The Red Sea collection, with one to four bedrooms, each with its own private pool. According to Red Sea Global, the architecture is by Foster + Partners and the interiors by ACPV Architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel. As at every Raffles, butler service is offered in every category, rooms included.

“Our aim is to give guests the freedom to find their own rhythm on the island,” says Charles Saliba, general manager of Raffles The Red Sea and Fairmont The Red Sea. Omer Acar, CEO of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, speaks of a new chapter for the brand as it continues to grow in Saudi Arabia.

Five venues, from Singapore to the Mediterranean

The resort plans five restaurants and lounges. Ni’ma serves Eastern Mediterranean sharing plates all day, while Siparaja pays tribute to the Singaporean roots of Raffles. By the water, El Nay brings together pan-Arab mezze, Saudi tea, coffee and shisha; Anbara reinvents the Raffles afternoon tea with pastries in regional flavours; the Pool Bar welcomes families during the day. The speciality restaurants and the bar will only open in a second phase, so it is worth checking before booking a table.

What to do before the seven-room spa opens?

Raffles Spa & Wellness and the adults-only pool will be unveiled in a later phase. Seven treatment rooms, a hammam, a sauna, a steam room, a vitality pool and an outdoor lap pool are planned, with in-room treatments also available. In the meantime, guests have access to the gym, padel and water sports. A Raffles Curator runs a cultural programme around local art, literature and craftsmanship; the kids’ and teens’ clubs will open later.

Shura Links, Saudi Arabia’s first island golf

On the island, Shura Links is the first 18-hole course built on an island in Saudi Arabia. The island also has a marina with its village of shops and restaurants, beaches, diving with Galaxea, water sports with WAMA and land activities with Akun. On the same Saudi coast, also discover the Six Senses AMAALA; and in Singapore, the brand’s birthplace, Raffles is preparing 62 villas at Raffles Sentosa.