Raffles The Red Sea has opened on Shura Island, with 33 private-pool villas looking across the lagoon or Red Sea. Developer Red Sea Global (RSG) announced the opening on 14 October 2026, bringing Raffles to its coastal destination on Saudi Arabia’s west coast for the first time.
The resort combines rooms and suites with one- to four-bedroom residences, five dining venues and a dedicated wellness sanctuary. Its location places guests within easy reach of Shura’s marina, retail area and golf course, giving travellers several ways to spend their days beyond the resort’s pools and terraces.
Rooms with terraces, villas with private pools
The resort has 168 accommodations in all: 121 are rooms, 14 are suites and 33 are private villas. Accommodation is designed to take in views across the lagoon or Red Sea, while Raffles says every room, suite and villa has its own terrace, with many facing the lagoon or beachfront.
The terraces are a useful detail for travellers who value outdoor space as part of their room. The accommodation choice then comes down to whether a room or suite suits the stay, or whether a private pool and a larger shared living space are priorities.
The villas form Raffles Residences The Red Sea, a collection of one- to four-bedroom homes designed by Foster + Partners, with interiors by ACPV ARCHITECTS Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel. Each residence has its own pool, spacious indoor and outdoor living areas, and views of the lagoon or sea.
One-bedroom residences are worth considering for couples who want a pool of their own. Four-bedroom homes offer a way for families or friends to stay together, with communal living areas as well as separate bedrooms. For a multi-generational trip or a holiday with another couple, the residence collection deserves particular attention.
Singaporean flavours and seaside dining
Five dining venues give guests a choice of cuisines and settings during a longer stay. Ni’ma serves Eastern Mediterranean food, while Siparaja offers Singaporean dining inspired by Peranakan heritage, one of the more distinctive culinary directions in the resort’s line-up.
Anbara combines French patisserie craft with Arabian notes. That pairing adds a pastry-focused option alongside the restaurants, and another regional influence to a collection that reaches from the Eastern Mediterranean to Singapore.
El Nay serves Pan-Arabic bites and refreshments by the sea, making its coastal location part of the appeal. The Pool Bar & Grill provides relaxed dining beside the water. Together, these two venues give guests options for eating close to the sea or pool, while Ni’ma and Siparaja offer a choice driven by cuisine.
A hammam and an outdoor lap pool
The spa and wellness sanctuary includes seven indoor treatment rooms, a vitality pool and a hammam. Taken together, these amenities give a wellness-focused stay several elements to build around, from treatment appointments to time in the hammam and pool.
Women have separate beauty stations, while men have grooming stations. Guests also have an outdoor lap pool as a swimming option if they like to keep an exercise routine while away.
The combination will appeal to travellers who want wellbeing to occupy a meaningful part of their holiday. Treatment rooms, bathing facilities and a lap pool are all within the resort, allowing spa time and swimming to fit around meals, island outings and time at the villa.
Shura Island’s marina and golf course
Raffles sits near Shura Island’s marina and retail area, with Shura Links golf course also within easy reach. That position will suit travellers who want an island base with access to golf, shopping and the waterfront.
RSG’s plans for Shura include 11 luxury resorts and 305 residences, alongside a marina and the golf course. The island’s design is shaped by Foster + Partners’ Coral Bloom concept, extending the practice’s involvement beyond the architecture of the Raffles residences.
Shura is the main hub of The Red Sea destination, so its setting offers a useful balance for travellers choosing between different types of coastal stay. At Raffles, a private-pool residence can provide space for time together, with the island’s leisure facilities close enough to give the holiday a broader itinerary.
An island opening in phases
The Red Sea began welcoming guests in 2023, followed by Shura Island and its first three resorts in 2025. Four Seasons Resort and Residences Red Sea at Shura Island welcomed its first guests from 20 May 2026; Raffles is the latest addition to that developing island collection.
RSG’s wider hospitality portfolio already includes resorts operated by InterContinental, SLS, The EDITION, Four Seasons and Miraval. The developer says five additional resorts are expected to open in the coming months, adding further choice across its portfolio.
The opening gives travellers another established luxury brand to consider at a destination whose hotel offering is still expanding. Raffles’ particular points of interest are its residence collection, the Singaporean influence in its dining and the combination of wellness facilities with access to Shura’s marina and golf course.
Beyond the resort: sea, desert and mountains
The Red Sea destination extends across more than 28,000 square kilometres of islands, desert and mountains. That wider landscape is relevant when planning a stay: an island resort can be the base for a trip that also includes inland and nature-based experiences.
Destination activity brands divide those experiences by setting. WAMA provides over-water activities, Galaxea offers underwater experiences and Akun focuses on inland adventures. ADRENA, a sports and adventure district, is also accessible within the wider destination, giving more active travellers another option beyond Shura itself.
RSG says The Red Sea is powered by 100% renewable energy and is targeting a 30% net conservation gain by 2040. These destination-wide commitments are part of the developer’s approach to the region, alongside the continuing expansion of its hotels, residences and leisure facilities.
Getting to Raffles The Red Sea
Shura Island is a 25-minute transfer from Red Sea International Airport and is connected to the mainland by an over-water bridge. The resort’s position near the island’s marina and retail area makes arrival and access to local facilities useful considerations when choosing it as a base.
Red Sea International Airport’s design draws inspiration from the desert, oasis and sea, introducing the destination’s landscapes at the point of arrival. The airport has regular flights from Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha, Milan and Dubai.
