The first thing that strikes you is the silence. Not the absence of sound, but the rare kind that sits between sea and sky, the soft hush of wind brushing over sand, the faint rhythm of water against coral, and the distant hum of life carrying across the shallows. It is here, on Shura Island, that The Red Sea EDITION has quietly arrived, folding contemporary luxury into one of the most untouched corners of Saudi Arabia.
The journey begins long before check-in. After landing at Red Sea International Airport, guests are driven through a vast desert plain where the landscape rolls in shades of copper and gold. The road stretches out like a ribbon of possibility, crossing Saudi Arabia’s longest internal bridge before reaching the island itself. From the mainland, Shura appears as a mirage, a thread of green and white adrift in the turquoise waters of the Red Sea.
The resort unfolds gradually, almost shyly. A series of stone and wooden pavilions nestle along a kilometre of private beach, framed by the shimmering sea on one side and the deep green of the island’s golf course on the other. There is no towering structure, no hard edges against the horizon. Instead, the architecture feels organic, an echo of the landscape it inhabits.
Inside, everything has been considered with quiet precision. The interiors, designed by the Rockwell Group, take cues from the surrounding elements: coral stone floors, natural oak beams, and earthy textiles that catch the light in soft, grainy hues. Rammed earth walls mimic the canyon forms of the Saudi desert, while airy pavilions open seamlessly to the outdoors. There is a sense of continuity in every detail, as if the boundary between nature and structure has been purposefully blurred.
In the lobby, the first impression is warmth, not just in tone but in atmosphere. Light filters through oak screens, carrying the scent of the sea and the faint sweetness of polished wood. The space hums gently with conversation and the clink of glass, centred beneath a sculpted ceramic chandelier that looks as though it has been lifted straight from the seabed.
The resort’s 240 rooms and suites extend this same sensibility. Muted sand and limestone tones wrap around spaces that are both sophisticated and soothing. Floor-to-ceiling windows open onto views that feel cinematic: the deep blue of the Red Sea by day, and an ink-black sky scattered with stars by night. Some suites feature private plunge pools that glisten under lantern light, while others lead directly onto the beach, where the tide gently brushes at the edges of private terraces.
Food here plays its own role in the story. JIWA Beach Club captures the island’s playful energy, its atmosphere shifting from laid-back afternoons to lively nights with bonfires and rhythmic percussion. Its Indonesian-led kitchen brings a bold, sun-drenched palette to the menu, balancing spice with freshness. By contrast, ANASA, led by celebrated Saudi chef Basma Elkhereiji, is a study in restraint. Her Aegean-inspired dishes centre on clean flavours and simplicity, an expression of her belief that luxury should never shout.
Elsewhere, the resort’s wellness spaces speak to a quieter ambition. The spa, bathed in filtered light, draws from the textures and rhythms of the natural world. Treatments use minerals from the sea and oils inspired by the desert, blending the holistic with the modern. The atmosphere is meditative, anchored by soft coral stone and the steady sound of water. Even the gym, often an afterthought in such settings, has been designed with intent, a place for renewal rather than routine.
Yet what sets The Red Sea EDITION apart is not its design, nor even its cuisine, but its context. The resort sits at the heart of one of the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism projects, where development is guided as much by preservation as progress. Powered entirely by renewable energy and framed by protected marine ecosystems, the island is a test case for how luxury and sustainability might co-exist without compromise.
As dusk settles, the scene changes once more. The air cools, the sand darkens, and the soundscape narrows to the rhythmic pulse of waves. Lights flicker across the pavilions like fireflies. In that moment, standing between the warmth of the earth and the pull of the sea, there is a feeling that this place is more than a resort. It is a reflection of a new chapter, one that embraces beauty, stillness, and a slower, more thoughtful kind of travel.
