Red Sea Global has begun operations at Amaala Yacht Club on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, opening a 119-berth marina aimed at drawing the international yachting fleet away from its established winter routes, the developer said on September 15.
The club is pitched at owners who leave the Mediterranean from October for the Caribbean or the Indian Ocean, with Amaala positioned closer to the Mediterranean than either. That proposition depends on vessels transiting a Red Sea where Houthi forces declared a maritime embargo on Saudi shipping in July and have struck tankers and port infrastructure, pushing war risk premiums up across the basin. Amaala sits in the far north, well above the Bab al-Mandab approaches where those attacks have concentrated.
The marina can accommodate superyachts over 100 metres and operates as a full international port of entry, with fuelling available and maintenance and repair facilities to follow in coming years. Berthing and mooring fees are set at levels comparable with leading European marinas, and owners taking permanent moorings receive privileges through selected resort partners.
The 7,900 square metre clubhouse, designed by HKS Architects, includes dining and social venues such as Amaala Lounge, Anqa, 27°C and The Deck, along with a rooftop pool and private meeting suites. The AYC Academy will run sailing programmes and watersports for all ages and levels.
“The Amaala Yacht Club marks the emergence of a truly global yachting destination,” said John Pagano, group chief executive of Red Sea Global, who described the combination of luxury, wellness and regenerative tourism as unique.
The club will be the centrepiece of the grand finale of The Ocean Race in 2027 and will host international yachting events through the year.
Members and guests have access to resorts already open at Amaala including Four Seasons, Six Senses, Rosewood, Equinox and Nammos, with two more opening in coming months. The destination is 45 minutes from Alwajh International Airport, where Red Sea Global has been handling terminal and infrastructure upgrades. Average seasonal temperatures run at 26°C with lows of 23°C, and the club is powered entirely by renewable energy.
Red Sea Global is a Public Investment Fund company. Its first destination, The Red Sea, opened to guests in 2023, Thuwal Private Retreat followed in 2024 and Amaala received its first guests this year.
The timing of opening
The opening gives charter brokers a northern Red Sea base with a full port of entry, which removes the clearance friction that has kept private yachts out of Saudi waters. For agents selling the region, the sell is a winter alternative for clients who already know the Med, with resort inventory from five recognised brands on the same site rather than a marina standing alone.
The constraint is not the product but the route. Owners and captains will be weighing insurance and transit risk through the Red Sea, and brokers should expect questions about Suez routing and war risk cover before questions about berths. Positioning matters in the pitch: Amaala’s location in the far north is the answer to that objection, and it should be stated up front.
The Ocean Race finale in 2027 is the fixed point to plan around. Operators building marine and wellness itineraries for high-net-worth clients should be blocking capacity now, since resort inventory at Amaala is limited and two further properties are not yet open.
