Saudi Red Sea Authority Licenses AMAALA and Shura Superyacht Marinas

Saudi authorities issue two operating licences

Red Sea Global has received formal operating licences from the Saudi Red Sea Authority for AMAALA Marina and Shura Marina on Saudi Arabia's north-western Red Sea coast. The licences were presented on October 1, 2026, clearing an important regulatory step as the developer prepares the two facilities to receive visiting yachts.

The Saudi authority's vice president of coastal tourism operations, Mohammed Bukhari, handed over the licences in Riyadh to Raed Albasseet, Red Sea Global's senior environment and sustainability representative. This is a regulatory milestone distinct from the earlier launch of Yachting Network, the management entity intended to coordinate berthing across the two destinations.

The permits concern the operation of marinas under Saudi Arabia's applicable rules, rather than a new shipyard order or construction contract. Owners and captains should still confirm the particular berths and services available when planning their arrival.

Two marina locations serve different yacht programmes

AMAALA Marina, part of the AMAALA coastal destination, provides 119 berths with an emphasis on visiting yachts and superyachts. Shura Marina at The Red Sea destination has 159 berths intended to serve residential and recreational vessels as well as visiting traffic.

Red Sea Global says both sites can accommodate yachts as long as 120 metres. This describes the maximum vessel length that selected facilities are intended to accept, not proof that every position in the combined 278-berth inventory is suitable for a 120-metre yacht.

The group lists fuel, provisioning, maintenance coordination and concierge services among the intended offerings. For a yacht arriving from the Mediterranean, access to reliable administrative processes and local shore support matters as much as the ability to reserve a physical berth.

Operating rules cover safety and the environment

The marina licences are issued under the Saudi Red Sea Authority's regulations governing the design and operation of tourist marinas. Those provisions address marina management, health and safety, and measures intended to reduce damage to the Red Sea's sensitive marine ecosystems.

Coral reef protection is a significant consideration when developing new coastal facilities and planning yacht movements. Navigating a channel, using anchors or arranging fuel transfers all require local knowledge, accurate notices and cooperation with the marina's operating team.

A licence indicates that the operator has received approval under the applicable framework. It should not be read as independent evidence of zero environmental impact or as permission for vessels to disregard speed limits, marine protected areas or restrictions on anchoring.

A shorter seasonal link from the Mediterranean

Red Sea Global is promoting its destinations as a possible alternative winter circuit for some yachts that traditionally cruise from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean or Indian Ocean. The developer cites a route of roughly 2,000 nautical miles from Monaco, although actual sailing distances and passages depend on the route and prevailing conditions.

The newly formed Yachting Network is designed to make it easier for private and charter yachts to book across AMAALA and Shura under coordinated arrangements, with further locations envisaged in future years. This October report focuses on the operator licensing, which is an essential prerequisite to managing the two sites within that system.

Captains assessing a Red Sea itinerary still need verified entry rules, pilotage information, berth dimensions, security guidance and local weather assessments. The official photograph accompanying the article records the real licensing presentation, rather than a computer rendering of an unbuilt marina.