Red Sea EDITION on Shura Island named to Condé Nast Traveller Middle East 2026 Hot List

Red Sea Global’s flagship EDITION resort on Shura Island has been named to Condé Nast Traveller Middle East‘s 2026 Hot List, adding to a growing roster of accolades for Saudi Arabia’s regenerative tourism flagship.

The recognition lands months after Forbes Travel Guide crowned the 240-key resort the best new hotel opening in the world for 2025, beating shortlisted properties including Orient Express La Minerva in Rome, Waldorf Astoria New York, Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Costa Rica.

The Red Sea EDITION opened in late 2025 alongside SLS The Red Sea and InterContinental The Red Sea as the first three resorts on Shura Island, the centrepiece of the wider Red Sea destination. The trio launched in tandem with Shura Links, the country’s first 18-hole island golf course, designed by Brian Curley and managed by Golf Saudi.

Being included on the Hot List places Red Sea Global firmly on the map as a destination people will travel for, not just to.

Coral Bloom design and sustainability credentials

Operated by Marriott International’s luxury group, the Red Sea EDITION draws on the surrounding landscape, with earth walls, coral stone floors and natural oak forming a palette inspired by the area’s canyons, coral reefs and dunes. Guest rooms overlook either the Red Sea or the adjacent Shura Links course.

The property’s wellness offer includes a recovery dome with infrared sauna, heated stone loungers, a snow shower and a lymphatic shower. Four restaurants are open, with a fifth in the pipeline, including Bali-inspired beach club JIWA and all-day American venue Central.

Shura Island sits under the Coral Bloom masterplan by Foster + Partners, with development limited to less than 1% of the island’s land. The destination runs entirely on renewable energy from on-site solar farms, supported by one of the world’s largest off-grid battery storage systems. All resorts on the island are targeting LEED Platinum certification, contributing to Red Sea Global’s wider goal of delivering net conservation benefit by 2040.

Eight more resorts due in 2026

Eight further resorts are scheduled to open on Shura in 2026, bringing the island’s total to 11 hotels and more than 2,000 keys. Confirmed brands include Four Seasons, Fairmont, Jumeirah, Rosewood, Grand Hyatt, Miraval, Raffles and Faena. The island will also welcome 305 Red Sea Residences, including Four Seasons Private Residences, SLS Residences and Shura Marina Residences.

Guests reach Shura through Red Sea International Airport, which sits within three hours’ flying time of 250mn people and within eight hours of 85% of the world’s population. From the airport, a 25-minute transfer across Saudi Arabia’s longest over-water bridge connects to the island. Qatar Airways operates direct flights to the airport three times a week.

Vision 2030 tourism push

The Red Sea project sits at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy and grow tourism, with a target of 150mn visitors annually by 2030. The wider development spans 28,000 sq km along the Red Sea coast and includes 22 islands and six inland sites. Across The Red Sea and sister destination AMAALA, Red Sea Global expects to create 120,000 new jobs.

Red Sea Global is wholly owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and led by chief executive John Pagano. The Hot List inclusion is the latest international endorsement for a destination Saudi authorities have positioned as proof that the Kingdom can compete at the top end of global luxury hospitality.