Saudi Arabia is redefining luxury travel, offering an unparalleled blend of exclusivity, sustainability, and innovation. At the heart of this transformation is Shebara Resort, a futuristic getaway in the Red Sea that rivals destinations like the Maldives—without the long-haul flight. Plus the Maldives jailed their environment minister, accusing her of witchcraft. With cutting-edge design, a commitment to sustainability, and stunning marine biodiversity, Shebara is the perfect luxury escape for eco-conscious travelers.

Related: Sindalah resort in Saudi Arabia

What It’s Like to Stay in a Shebara Pod

Imagine waking up to panoramic ocean views in a sleek, mirrored pod floating above the turquoise waters of the Red Sea. Each villa at Shebara Resort is designed to reflect the sea and sky, creating a seamless connection between architecture and nature. The futuristic pods are made of stainless steel, blending into the surroundings while offering luxurious interiors, including floor-to-ceiling windows, plush bedding, and private decks with direct water access.

By day, you can relax in your private infinity pool, gaze at the marine life below, or step straight from your villa into the warm, crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea. The resort is completely off-grid, powered by renewable energy, meaning you can enjoy modern luxuries with a clear conscience.

Swimming and Marine Life in the Red Sea

The Red Sea is one of the world’s most breathtaking underwater paradises, offering exceptional diving and snorkeling opportunities. Unlike the Maldives, which faces rising coral bleaching due to climate change, the Red Sea’s reefs are naturally resilient to higher temperatures, making them some of the most vibrant and well-preserved coral ecosystems in the world.

Related: dive boat sinks in Egypt- a survivor’s story

What can you see while swimming?

• Colorful coral gardens teeming with life
• Schools of tropical fish, from clownfish to angelfish
• Graceful sea turtles gliding through the water
• Majestic manta rays and dolphins

Are There Sharks in the Red Sea?

Yes, but they’re not a threat to humans. The Red Sea is home to reef sharks, whale sharks, and hammerheads, but attacks on swimmers or divers are extremely rare. Reef sharks are shy and typically avoid humans, while the gentle giant whale shark (the world’s largest fish) is a highlight for divers and snorkelers. Every couple of years there is a shark attack in the Red Sea in Egypt. But attacks are rare.

Why Shebara is Better Than the Maldives

1. Closer to Europe → Lower Emissions

   • A shorter flight means less environmental impact compared to the Maldives.
   • Direct flights to Saudi Arabia are easier and faster from Europe and the Middle East.

2. Sustainability

   • 100% solar-powered resort
   • Minimal environmental footprint with floating villas that preserve marine ecosystems

3. Undiscovered Paradise

   • Unlike the Maldives, which can feel overcrowded, Shebara offers exclusivity in a relatively untouched environment.

4. A Key Part of Saudi Vision 2030

   • A prime example of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to sustainable tourism and economic diversification.

Shebara Resort offers a next-level luxury experience that combines futuristic design, unspoiled nature, and sustainable tourism. For those looking for an exclusive getaway without the long-haul travel to the Maldives, this Red Sea gem is the perfect choice. After your island getaway jump on a slow train around Saudi Arabia.

Would you stay in a futuristic floating pod in Saudi Arabia? ?✨ Scroll down for photos.

::Shebara

Update 2026: while the images above are renderings, the images below are the actual Sheba resort. Would you stay there for $2000 a night?

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The Maldives, in the news recently for its refusal to accept Israeli Jews as tourists to its series of sinking islands southwest of India, has suspended its environment minister on accusations of black magic.

According to local news sources, the Maldives Minister Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem was suspended and arrested along with her two siblings on charges of performing witchcraft and black magic on the Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu.

Shamnaz, who was a state minister at the Ministry of Environment, was arrested on June 23.

Maldives, a Muslim majority nation, does not allow non-Muslims to become citizens. It is a great destination for halal-observant Muslims, but may be intolerant to “others” ways of life. Wearing bikinis on a public beach is forbidden and tourists are only allowed to wear swimwear in tourist-only beaches, making one wonder what is an Apartheid state these days, when the term is thrown around so loosely against democratic nations that it’s now cringe.

We could not confirm what kinds of witch-craftery Minister Fathimath has performed. But the nation is 100% intolerant to the rich history of the island which included Buddhism and Hindu traditions of the past. Believing in any other tradition may have you imprisoned for years. 

Islam, also has a place for its own version of sorcery in the name of jinns, or genies, as it is known in children’s books of today. We have a rich archive on jinns on Green Prophet. The original home of the jinns is believed to be in Afghanistan. Learn here why jinns are not even close to being the Disney characters portrayed. Here is an article on the connection between magic and witchcraft in Islam.

Some of the practices we are seeing today in some Muslim nations reminds us of the Inquisitions, forced conversions and “burn the witch” problems of Europe hundreds of years ago.

In environment news from the past, the sinking nation of islands doesn’t have a great track record for its environmental stewardship. This floating hotel for instance sends the wrong message about climate change.

The post Maldive’s environment minister jailed for being a witch appeared first on Green Prophet.

Waterstudio.NL is world-renowned for its forward-thinking approach to architecture. While so many architects and developers (especially in our region) are still stuck on growing mammoth skyscrapers on land, this Dutch firm has carved a niche in floating architecture in preparation of climate change and rising seas. Their projects are numerous and range from small house boats to whole islands.

But we question whether it is fair to bill one of their recent projects, the Greenstar Hotel underway in the Maldives, as a beacon of light, the shining star of sustainable development? More vulnerable to rising seas than virtually any other nation, the Maldivian government has signed an agreement with Dutch Docklands to develop 80 square million feet of floating buildings, golf courses, hotels, and other floating buildings. But is this the right approach?

Star-shaped floating hotel

Shaped as a star and covered in stepped layers of green in order to “fit with the natural surroundings,” the Greenstar Hotel will have 800 rooms and a conference center that can accommodate as many as 2,000 people. It’s being pitched as the number one destination for discussions about climate change, as the Maldives is considered a leader on the subject.

But how many floating structures can we really sustain?

We think of the oceans as a vast unexplored territory; after all, 70% of the earth’s surface is comprised of water. So it seems obvious to spill out into this space when land becomes uninhabitable or buried under rising oceans.

And the Maldives may have no other choice. Just six feet above sea level, this group of islands in the Indian Ocean – located roughly 300 miles east of India – will be reclaimed by the great ocean with just a one meter rise in water levels.

Fix land-based behavior first

It’s hard to find conclusive data or to predict exactly how fast levels will rise. Although scientists work around the clock to monitor climate change and consistently send our urgent warnings to government to scale back on carbon emissions, the truth is, we just don’t know, although conservative estimates show that we can expect a one meter rise by 2050.

Back in 2004, National Geographic reported that “The complete melting of Greenland would raise sea levels by 7 meters (23 feet). But even a partial melting would cause a one-meter (three-foot) rise. Such a rise would have a devastating impact on low-lying island countries, such as the Indian Ocean’s Maldives, which would be entirely submerged.”

So a certain amount of planning ahead is understandable as we are hard-wired to survive. But before we start to think about colonizing the oceans, further displacing whales, dolphins and the other creatures whose lives we have made miserable with our unending waste streams, sonars, fishing trawlers and other manmade hazards, shouldn’t we be doing more to fix our land-based behavior first?

More on Floating Structures and Global Warming:

It’s Game Over for Global Warming Unless we Act this Decade

Grim Greenhouse Gas Milestone Dims Hope for Less Climate Change

World’s Most Beautiful Mosque in Malaysia is Vulnerable to Rising Seas

The post Maldives Floating Greenstar Hotel Sends the Wrong Message About Climate Change appeared first on Green Prophet.

We can’t think of anything more unfortunate than getting stuck with an artificial island (like this one that Israel proposes to build off Gaza). But investors who bought one of 300 “countries” off the coast of Dubai will be happy to know that Dutch Docklands from the Netherlands is proposing to create floating islands as a more sustainable option to the “World’s” artificial islands.

Devastating to marine environments out of which they are scraped together, artificial islands are also costly to develop. But in an exclusive interview with Emirates 24/7, Dutch Dockland’s CEO Paul van de Camp reveals that investors who purchased water masses along with their landmass now have a building option that won’t require any additional infrastructure to build.

Van de Camp told Emirates 24/7 that investors with water masses can avoid pouring a ton of money into developing their artificial island.

“As all the equipment is within the island and is therefore completely self supporting; the owners do not have to depend on getting any infrastructure ready,” he says.

The same developers behind the floating Golf Course in the Maldives and The Floating Proverb, Dutch Docklands are also going to propose the floating island option to Qatar, where the 2016 Soccer World Cup is going to be held.

“They will need to build infrastructure and stadiums. Although for many people it will be quite a visionary thought, but we can build a floating stadium or even a whole village for them,” van de Camp told the paper.

With sea levels rising as a result of climate change, many designers and planners are pitting floating structures as a viable infrastuctural and housing solution. Who knows what will come of marine life when human beings extend their colonies into the world’s oceans. In the meantime, let us know: do you think floating islands are better than artificial islands?

:: Emirates 24/7

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