Sheybarah Island
Native name: جزيرة شيبارة | |
|---|---|
 NASA photograph of Sheybarah | |
  Sheybarah Island | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Red Sea |
| Coordinates | 25°21′56″N 36°53′42″E / 25.36556°N 36.89500°E |
| Area | 19.8 km2 (7.6 sq mi)[1] |
| Administration | |
| Province | Tabuk |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone |
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Sheybarah Island, Also known as Shebara,[2] is an uninhabited island in the Red Sea coast of Tabuk Province, Saudi Arabia.[3] Sheybarah is part of a 92-island archipelago that is being developed for tourism as part of The Red Sea Project and is home to Shebara resort, a 73-key resort which was opened to tourists in November 2024.[4]
Location
[edit]The 19.8 km2 island is located on the west coast of Saudi Arabia between the cities of Umluj and Al-Wajh. The island is one of 92 islands that lie within an archipelago in Al Wajh lagoon, a pristine 2,081 km2 area that includes valuable habitats (coral reefs, seagrass, and mangroves) and species of global conservation importance.[3]
History
[edit]
Sheybarah island remained uninhabited and undeveloped for most of its history until a plan to develop the red sea coast of the Saudi Arabia was announced in July 2017 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of Saudi Vision 2030 to develop the kingdom's tourism sector.[5]
The island is developed by Red Sea Global, previously "The Red Sea Development Company", which is one of the companies owned by the Public Investment Fund.[6]
In November 2024, Sheybarah island was officially opened for tourists with the opening of the Shebara resort.[7] The resort features 73 oval-shaped reflective steel villa, 38 of which are overwater villas. The resort was designed by Killa Design, and was featured in TIME Magazine's "World's Greatest Places" of 2025.[8][2]
See also
[edit]- List of islands of Saudi Arabia
- Shura Island
- Amaala
- Saudi Red Sea Authority
- List of Saudi Vision 2030 projects
References
[edit]- ^ "المملكة العربية السعودية: أرقام وحقائق" [Saudi Arabia: Numbers and Facts] (PDF) (in Arabic). Saudi Geological Survey. 2012. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
- ^ a b Khan, Sarah (2025-03-25). "The World's Greatest Places of 2025". time.com. TIME Magazine. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
- ^ a b Chalastani, Vasiliki I.; Manetos, Panos; Al-Suwailem, Abdulaziz M.; Hale, Jason A.; Vijayan, Abhishekh P.; Pagano, John; Williamson, Ian; Henshaw, Scott D.; Albaseet, Raed; Butt, Faisal; Brainard, Russell E.; Coccossis, Harry; Tsoukala, Vasiliki K.; Duarte, Carlos M. (2020). "Reconciling Tourism Development and Conservation Outcomes Through Marine Spatial Planning for a Saudi Giga-Project in the Red Sea (The Red Sea Project, Vision 2030)". Frontiers in Marine Science. 7. doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.00168. hdl:10754/662629.
- ^ Alomar, Dana (2023-03-23). "How Saudi developer TRSDC is turning Sheybarah Island into an iconic resort". Arab News. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ "Saudi crown prince launches mega Red Sea tourism project". arabnews.com. Arab News. 2018-08-01. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
- ^ "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince announces the launch of The Red Sea Project as an international tourist destination as part of the Kingdom's 2030 Vision". pif.gov.sa. Public Investment Fund. 2017-07-31. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ "Shebara Resort to open in November 2024, promising luxury and sustainability at The Red Sea". Saudi Gazette. 2024-10-28. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ "red sea project update: watch killa design's sheybarah island villas take shape in saudi arabia". designboom.com. designboom. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
External links
[edit]
[[Category:Lists of islands by country|Saudi Arabia]