Welcome to Sindalah: An Island Like No Other

Glamour

in the Red Sea

Sindalah lies just off the northwestern shores of Saudi Arabia, and when it welcomes its first visitors in 2024, it is set to reshape the international yachting calendar. A host of luxurious experiences outside the traditional Mediterranean and Caribbean seasons await— all of which will unfold just a short sail down the Suez Canal from Europe. With a climate more akin to that of the Mediterranean or the Caribbean, cooler than the rest of the Gulf, Sindalah is very much a year-round destination. It’s also unscathed by the vicissitudes of winter weather, tropical storms and hurricanes. Visitors can sail to Sindalah by boat from most major Mediterranean yachting destinations within 17 hours; once there, an 86-berth marina and 75 offshore buoys will accommodate even the world’s largest vessels, with a capacity to host superyachts up to 590 feet in length.

While its cerulean waters may give those of other tropical resorts a run for their money, Sindalah will be home to a unique and diverse array of experiences. It’ll be easy enough to while away an afternoon at the beach or by the pool, but there’s so much more to Sindalah. Far from the crowds of the Côte d’Azur and the Caribbean, this exclusive hideaway blends the buzz of Monaco with the chic style of Saint-Tropez. Days filled with sailing, scuba diving, shopping and spa treatments will flow into lively evenings spent bouncing between the high-end restaurants and lounges spread around the island.

A Cutting-edge Marina With Italian Design

The ambitious architecture of Sindalah is being led by Florence-based architect and superyacht designer Luca Dini, a global leader in the industry. Dini and his team, including naval engineers, textile and furniture designers, 3-D animators and more, have designed nearly 100 superyachts and are responsible for some of the sleekest, chicest vessels that cruise the world’s waters today. “Sindalah is a one-of-a-kind island with diverse, coexisting venues,” says Dini. “We have designed all these areas to create something new and innovative.” And now that Dini has set his sights on Sindalah, his intricate knowledge of terrestrial and maritime architecture and his intimate understanding of the needs and passions of the global yachting community, will ensure that the design of Sindalah is like no other destination in the world. “Our goal is to bring the very same attention to detail to architecture as we have in yacht design and to manufacture and bring the best artisans to replicate these results,” says Dini.

On Sindalah, leading technology, such as solar-responsive kinetic roofing and 3-D-cast crystal glass, are woven into the fabric of the architecture. Sindalah’s marina will offer services that draw superyacht owners to the world’s finest marinas.

A Place to Stay, and to Stay Longer

Visitors to Sindalah will check into the cosseting confines of three sumptuous new all-suite hotels, offering a total of 413 rooms, including 88 villas, as well as 333 suite hotel rooms for those arriving for an extended stay. The island will also have an exceptional beach club, 51 stores, extensive sports, spa and wellness facilities, a calendar of festivals and events throughout the year, and 38 high-end culinary offerings.

“We’re creating one-off concepts that are completely unique in partnership with some of the most renowned brands in the business,” says

Chris Newman, NEOM’s executive director of hotel development. “Additionally, we will build homegrown concepts. We are working closely with young Saudi talent on this as they are implementing some phenomenal initiatives in the culinary space, helping develop the next generation of future chefs.”

Sindalah aims to be a “five-minute destination,” with all of the island’s services and amenities reachable with a quick stroll. Road-free and car-free, the only pressing traffic concerns will be where to sail to for the best snorkeling or swimming on any particular day.

World-Class Golfing

Sindalah is also set to become one of the region’s most popular golf destinations, with its worldclass 6,474-yard par 70 course, masterminded by world-renowned golf architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. With 18 tees, Sindalah’s lush golf course will deliver two unique nine-hole experiences, as well as golf suites fitted with state-of-theart ball-tracking technology and data feedback, along with a 306-yard driving range.

The course will feature a links-style layout spread across a one-of-a-kind setting: the undulating greens and rolling fairways will look out over spectacular Red Sea views, catering to all levels of play and providing dreamy distractions at the same time.

Crystal-Clear Waters

In Sindalah, the kinetic energy that unfolds on the island’s shores is rivaled only by its kaleidoscopic underwater world. These alluring waters are home to 2,000 marine species including dolphins, turtles, dugongs, manta rays, whale sharks, rare corals and colorful reef fish. Over 600 of the species found here are endemic to the Red Sea, meaning they can’t be seen anywhere else in the world.

The rich marine life and biodiversity has long drawn divers to the waters of the Red Sea, usually to the areas around Egypt and Jordan. In 2021, NEOM and ocean exploration organization OceanX conducted a joint six-week expedition to survey the destination’s underwater world, revealing a 2083-foot-high ocean pinnacle, the world’s northernmost deep-sea brine pool, climate change-resilient coral reefs, eight new species and three ancient maritime and shipwreck sites. The largely unexplored waters around Sindalah conceal exceptional underwater adventures and discoveries.

The First Foray to NEOM

What does it take to create an entirely new destination? Imagination, of course. Good access helps, as does uncharted, dramatic, breathtakingly beautiful scenery. And bold ambition.

All of these elements converge in the northwest reaches of Saudi Arabia, where NEOM is one of the most highly anticipated and curiously watched developments in the world. As one of the Kingdom’s ambitious giga-projects, NEOM will be a big part of Saudi Arabia’s tourism goals—the nation aims to welcome 100 million travelers per year by 2030—with destinations like The Line, a 106-mile-long mirrored car-free city, and the manufacturing and innovation hub Oxagon, the world’s largest floating structure. Forty percent of the world’s population lives within a six-hour flight of NEOM; when they arrive, they will explore a region spanning 16,466 square miles, encompassing warm Red

Sea waters, high-altitude mountains that are snow-capped in winter (the planned home of the Arabian Gulf’s first natural winter sports resort), as well as deserts, valleys and more than 200 heritage sites.

But it’s Sindalah that will be the gateway to all of the wonders of NEOM, offering visitors a taste of what’s to come as the first showcase of what this dynamic destination will be unveiling in the coming years. In addition to this nextgeneration yachting hub, Sindalah is also the first of a group of islands that will each have its own distinct vision and design.

According to Antoni Vives, chief urban planning officer at NEOM and former Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, visitors will be able to hop easily from one destination to another. “Sindalah is where you will start, and potentially finish, your trip, as the gateway between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea,” he says.

While it’s poised to show the world its first glimpse of the pioneering destination of NEOM, Sindalah is also promising curious travelers a taste of something completely new and utterly untrammeled—a thrilling new chapter for travelers around the world. “Sindalah—and in the future, the archipelago of NEOM—will be the ultimate destination for yacht owners,” says Dini, “amidst the beauty of uncontaminated waters and the comfort of every super-luxury service imaginable.”

Floating SeaPods o the Coast of Panama

The world’s rst community of oating pods will hover at about 10 feet above sea level in Linton Bay Marina. O ering 833 square feet of living space, they will be available for up to $1.5 million by the end of 2023.