Within the grass-dappled desert around Six Senses Southern Dunes in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where camels graze at a distance and the only sound is the fizz-pop of sparkling water, a small folding table covered in a white linen cloth awaits me. Atop it: a barbecue platter so full, so juicy, it triggers a growl in my stomach like a well-timed Foley effect. There’s grilled wagyu striploin, chicken kebabs and lamb chops, roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus—a comical amount of food for a party of one.
I settle in, napkin on my lap (though no one’s here to judge), as the sun starts to dip behind the dunes, turning the sky shades of grapefruit. Several industrious Six Senses staff have set up a personal tented camp—a Bedouin camp in miniature, albeit with a Big Green Egg grill—to showcase the resort’s sunset dune dinner. Overwhelmed by the bounty of my alfresco feast, I invite the staffers to join for some fresh juice, grilled meat, and firepit conversation; they politely decline.
So it goes for my two-night stay at Six Senses Southern Dunes, one of the most extraordinary hotels I’ve checked into in recent memory, and one of the emptiest. (My April 2024 trip coincided with an escalation in regional tension between Iran and Israel, as well as Eid, the post-Ramadan Muslim holiday.) I am among a handful of guests occupying the 76 superb rooms, suites, and private pool villas and possibly the only one enjoying its daily activity menu—though no one would fault me for secluding myself in my one-bedroom pool villa, where the deep soaking tub, cloudlike king-size bed, sprawling living room (stocked with fresh fruit, mezze, and mock champagne), and pool loungers all have sunset views over the dunes. On a clear day, guests can spy the shimmer of the Red Sea on the horizon.
Fighting the urge to laze about, I meet up with the resort’s director of sustainability, Emmy Nguyen, who’s tasked with establishing conservation protocol and doing community outreach at all the new Six Senses hotels in the region. She likes a challenge, she says, as she teaches me how to turn recycled cooking oil into soap at the on-site Earth Lab. With the same commitment to sustainability and wellness as other resorts in the Six Senses portfolio, this desert oasis offers a curated list of ways to engage and reflect: sunrise nature walks, mountain scrambles, aerial yoga, workshops to make recycled paper. I’m eager to try it all (along with the pool, spa, and anytime-you-want-it gelato). Yet I keep wanting to share the experiences with someone—anyone! Other travelers should feel the stillness and serenity of this dark-sky territory; experience the graciousness of its hosts; and taste the golden saffron lattes and freshly prepared fattoush.
When did tourism in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea region begin?
When the Six Senses Southern Dunes opened in November 2023, it was the first international resort in the burgeoning Red Sea region on Saudi Arabia’s west coast, some 10,800 square miles of inland desert, beachfront, and an archipelago of 90 islands earmarked for $20 billion in tourism investment by 2024. Developer Red Sea Global maintains an ambitious plan: By 2030, there will be 50 hotels, 8,000 guest rooms, and up to 1,000 residential properties—all run on renewable energy. “Less than 1 percent of the total site area is being developed, with 75 percent of the islands being preserved for conservation,” according to Red Sea Global’s master plan.
This the first entry into tourism in this part of the country—a relatively new concept for Saudi Arabia, which started receiving international visitors in 2019. It’s also meant to be a thought-leading exercise in regenerative tourism, helping local biodiversity thrive. After reading Dubai-based writer Nicola Chilton’s preview of the destination—on the “edge of the world’s fourth-largest barrier reef . . . with dormant volcanoes, mountain canyons, and historical cultural sites”—I had to see it for myself. Which is easier said than done.
How do travelers get to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastal region?
The Red Sea International Airport (RSI), designed by British architects Foster + Partners, opened in September 2023 with an inaugural inbound flight from the capital city of Riyadh, about two hours away. It was the first of twice-weekly flights, on Thursdays and Saturdays, connecting the world to the Red Sea and nearby Amaala, a wellness destination slated for phase-one completion in 2025, within Prince Mohammed bin Salman Nature Reserve. For regional travelers, transiting in and out of Riyadh or seaside Jeddah is straightforward; U.S.-based travelers are more likely to connect through Dubai, which recently launched twice-weekly flights to RSI.
Laura Redman
One may also follow my journey: Fly from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City to Doha, Qatar, overnight (at the Fairmont Doha if you can), then fly two hours to AlUla International Airport, an already-established desert hub for visitors to Hegra, Saudi Arabia, sister city of Petra, Jordan. Spend a couple days exploring (check out the new Dar Tantora eco-stay and Sharaan Nature Reserve safari), then hire a driver via tour operator The Traveling Panther to go west four hours to Six Senses. Take a breather for a few days. Then drive 45 minutes to the coast, board a boat, and feel the wind in your face for an hour of speeding across the cobalt-blue sea to the first island-based resorts, St. Regis Red Sea Resort and Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Those looking to lighten their wallets can opt for a quicker coast-to-island ride via a Fly Red Sea seaplane, another first of its kind in the kingdom.
Why is the Ummahat archipelago being nicknamed a “mini Maldives?”
On arrival, it’s easy to see why this region has been billed a “mini Maldives.” Nujuma and St. Regis occupy private islands that are a five-minute boat ride apart, and they have cocoon-like overwater bungalows and pool villas that provide the greatest luxury: privacy. Both are five-star Marriott properties, with St. Regis better suited for families and Nujuma for couples, though travelers will soon have a glut of options to choose from. Neighboring Shura Island will open 11 hotels, including a Four Seasons and a Rosewood, in the coming year.
The Maldives comparison is technically imprecise, though: The Indian Ocean islands are equatorial, while the Red Sea is one of the northernmost tropical seas, with super salinated, cobalt-blue water home to 1,200 fish species and 200 kinds of soft and hard coral. These are literal desert islands. Aside from some preexisting mangroves, vegetation has just been planted, with palms and aloe taking root. Triggerfish nip at the edges of the coast as turtles and dolphins circle the outer reef, reachable by boat. It’s the kind of barely visited snorkel and scuba site that draws enthusiasts like resort manager Andrea Colla to come work here; when he’s not eyeing every detail at St. Regis and Nujuma, he’s in the water.
Courtesy of St. Regis Red Sea Resort
It’s also the type of first-in adventure that drew Dubliner Tony Coveney, the multiproperty general manager who previously ran the Four Seasons Riyadh and flagship Ritz-Carltons in Moscow and Astana, Kazakhstan. Guests and workers are similarly avant-garde, choosing the Red Sea destination for its challenge as much as its beauty. Forty-two nationalities are represented among the staff; 40 percent are Saudi. More than 100 workers have completed a two-year hospitality training school created by Red Sea Global. Their professionalism makes a great first impression on me; the bar has been set high. With smiles as wide as they come, the staff caters to German influencers, Western European couples and families, and Saudi royalty who occupy the St. Regis during my visit. Guests can book the omakase menu at the Japanese restaurant for dinner or a couple’s massage at the immaculate spa—the sort of resort activities we take for granted, yet in Saudi Arabia are entirely novel.
Western travelers are a privileged sort, used to passports that allow entry to hundreds of countries—Saudi Arabia now among them. To visit just because you can? Not the best reason. But to unlock something new within you—a better understanding of the local flora, fauna, and culture, beyond the headlines? That seems a worthwhile vacation from the norm.
Laura Dannen Redman
Laura Dannen Redman is Afar’s editor at large. She’s an award-winning journalist who can’t sit still and has called Singapore, Seattle, Australia, Boston, and the Jersey Shore home. She’s based in Brooklyn with her equally travel-happy husband and daughters.
