In an oil wealthy state like Saudi Arabia luxury has no limits. And the latest is LEED certified.
A new Red Sea resort in Saudi Arabia called Shebara Island is already taking pre-bookings for its glamorous pod hotels, a cool SAR 9,000 a night, which equals about $2,400 USD. No big deal if you’ve berthed your mega-yacht at its shores.
Powered by the sun, the resort features 73 pods that rival the best of luxury from the Maldives seeing a downturn in tourism for its racist policies on religious freedom.
Saudi Arabia is hoping to become booming hotspot for business and tourism and has started creating 15-minute cities like Neom.
Shebaya, the latest from dozens of new projects announced, is a LEED-Platinum property which is built to “minimise its environmental and literal environmental footprint by cantilevering the accommodation spaces above the coral reefs with only a few square meters of ground impact at the base of the supporting column.
Update: (SEE THE REAL LIFE PHOTOS FROM 2026 HERE)
“The result is an aerial accommodation ‘pod’ that almost seems to defy gravity and suspends the guest directly above and within the beauty of an untouched marine eco-system; an observation platform for guests to witness the fish, birds and turtles that thrive in the area,” says a handout.
The entire project is powered by a centralized solar farm and fresh water is supplied from a solar powered desalination plant. Recycling of waste material takes place on the island minimizing the need to bring or remove materials from the site.
The design language of the resort compliments the uniqueness of the site. The approach to the façade design has been to minimize visual impact, employing a highly reflective stainless-steel skin polished to a mirror finish. These reflective orbs float, almost imperceptible, reflecting the colors and surface patterns of the ocean, the intense colors of the sky as they change throughout the day.
This approach serves to lessen the visual impact of the architecture on the surrounding environment while also greatly improv the building’s energy performance with a near 100% reflection of the solar gain at the mirror surface. These heavily insulated spaces can be effectively cooled with minimal energy losses.
The interior space of the project provides spacious room for the guests, with detailing, and finishes inspired by the interiors of luxury yachts. The room offers panoramic views to the sea with sliding doors that open to a deck, a seating area and an infinity pool with uninterrupted views of the sea and horizon beyond.
The project is designed by the UAE based K
Other Red Sea attractions in the region include our favorite place: low-key eco tourism in Sinai. There is also a great list of eco-tourism sites in the Holy Land. A typical trip in the future might look like this:
- A cruise down the Nile. The pyramids. A visit to Siwa Oasis in Egypt.
- Head over to St. Catherines Monastery, hike God’s Mountain, and spend a few nights diving in Sinai.
- Taxi over to Eilat and head to Tel Aviv, Tiberias, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea.
- Head across the Allenby Bridge to Jordan and check out Madaba, then down to Petra.
- From Petra head to Saudi Arabia to one of its dozens of new Red Sea attractions.
