Saudi Arabia Tourism Boom Expands as Shura Links Creates a Luxury Golf Paradise Beyond the Mediterranean

Written By: Utpol Mahato

Utpol Mahato

I am pursuing a career in travel journalism with Travel And Tour World, covering global tourism, aviation, hospitality, and destination developments. I focus on researching and reporting the latest trends in airlines, airports, travel experiences, tourism growth, and emerging destinations worldwide. Through accurate reporting and clear storytelling, I aim to provide valuable insights into the evolving travel industry and deliver informative stories to a global audience. My work highlights the trends, innovations, and opportunities shaping the future of international travel and tourism.

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September 11, 2026 01:14 GMT+5:30

The Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia is building a luxury golf resort to lure the global travel market, enticing potential visitors beyond the Mediterranean. The resort features championship golf courses, adventure activities, and resort amenities. Shura Links is building an innovative golf destination that lures visitors to Saudi Arabia outside of the peak summer months. Along with the new resort, Saudi Arabia is making improvements to air travel and hospitality to achieve their goal of creating a major hub for leisure and golf travel.

Shura Links, located on Shura Island at the heart of The Red Sea destination, brings together an 18-hole championship golf course, beachfront accommodation, marine experiences and desert adventures. Its year-round climate could make the destination particularly attractive during the European winter, when many courses across northern parts of the continent face colder temperatures, rain and frost.

Rather than operating as a standalone golf resort, Shura Links forms part of a much larger island tourism development designed around premium accommodation and outdoor experiences.

Eleven Luxury Resorts Strengthen the Shura Island Experience

Golf travellers visiting Shura Island will have access to a substantial collection of high-end resorts positioned around the island.

The hospitality portfolio includes The Red Sea EDITION, SLS The Red Sea and InterContinental The Red Sea Resort by IHG, together with properties associated with Four Seasons, Faena, Miraval, Rosewood and Raffles.

This concentration of internationally recognised hospitality brands gives travellers the opportunity to combine golf with spa experiences, beachfront relaxation, dining and marine activities without leaving the wider island destination.

For Saudi Arabia, the development also represents a broader attempt to build tourism experiences that encourage visitors to stay longer rather than travelling solely for one activity.

European Air Connectivity Supports Winter Golf Travel

Accessibility will be important as The Red Sea competes with established Mediterranean and Middle Eastern winter destinations.

Red Sea International Airport provides the principal gateway to the destination and is continuing to develop its international connectivity. Premium carrier BeOnd has announced links associated with major European markets including London, Paris, Munich, Zurich and Milan, alongside connectivity involving Malé.

Improved air access could make short winter golf holidays and longer luxury stays more practical for European travellers.

The airport’s proximity to the wider Red Sea tourism development also reduces the need for lengthy overland journeys after arrival, helping create a more integrated resort experience.

Championship Course Uses the Natural Red Sea Landscape

The main attraction for golfers is the par-72 Shura Links championship course.

The layout has been created to work with the surrounding coastal environment rather than separate players from it. Of its 18 holes, 13 are positioned alongside mangrove environments and extensive white-sand dune landscapes.

Sea breezes are expected to play an important role in course strategy. Changing wind conditions can influence club selection, approach shots and overall course management, creating a different challenge depending on weather conditions.

The landscape also provides uninterrupted views across the Red Sea’s turquoise waters, giving the course a strong visual identity that differs from conventional inland golf resorts.

Its combination of coastal dunes, mangroves, water and open terrain places the natural environment at the centre of the playing experience.

Global Golf Ranking Raises International Profile

Shura Links has already gained international recognition for the visual character of its setting.

The course secured 39th position in Golf World’s Top 100 X-Factor Courses in the World ranking, placing it among golf venues recognised for memorable scenery and distinctive playing environments.

Such recognition could strengthen its appeal among international golfers who increasingly combine sporting holidays with destination-led travel.

Golf tourism has expanded beyond traditional course-focused trips, with travellers often looking for resorts that combine sport, wellness, food, nature and cultural experiences. Shura Island has been developed around this broader model.

Red Sea Adventures Extend Far Beyond the Fairways

The destination is not limited to golf.

Marine adventure operators WAMA and Galaxea provide access to activities across the Red Sea’s coastal environment. Visitors can explore coral reefs through diving and snorkelling or take part in activities including kitesurfing, foiling and kayaking.

Mangrove waterways provide calmer environments for paddling and wildlife observation, while the wider coastline offers opportunities to experience the Red Sea from both above and below the water.

These activities could be particularly useful for groups and families where not every traveller plays golf, allowing different experiences to be combined within the same holiday.

Desert Landscapes Add Another Dimension to Red Sea Travel

Away from the coast, the surrounding Saudi landscape opens another side of the destination.

Visitors can explore mountain and desert routes through guided hikes and gravel cycling experiences. The comparatively low levels of artificial light in remote areas also create conditions for stargazing.

This combination of coast, desert and mountains allows travellers to move between very different landscapes during a single trip.

The wider Red Sea hospitality network reinforces that variety, extending beyond Shura Island to resorts located across islands and inland desert settings.

Luxury Resorts Expand Across the Wider Red Sea Destination

Other accommodation options across The Red Sea include The St. Regis Red Sea Resort, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and Shebara.

Travellers looking for desert-focused stays can also choose properties such as Six Senses Southern Dunes and Desert Rock.

Together, these developments create opportunities for multi-centre itineraries combining island accommodation with inland desert experiences.

A visitor could spend several days playing golf and enjoying the coast before continuing to a desert resort for hiking, wellness or nature-based activities.

Saudi Arabia Targets the European Winter Golf Market

Shura Links enters the market at a strategic time of year.

While Mediterranean destinations remain strongly associated with European summer holidays, winter creates a different competitive landscape. Golfers seeking reliable sunshine often look towards southern destinations where playing conditions remain comfortable when temperatures fall across Europe.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast is positioning itself within this market by combining championship-level golf with luxury hospitality, warm weather and extensive outdoor recreation.

The proposition is particularly suited to travellers seeking more than a conventional golfing break.

Instead of simply moving between a hotel and golf course, guests can potentially combine rounds of golf with coral-reef diving, kayaking, cycling, desert exploration, spa experiences and beachfront relaxation.

Shura Links Adds a New Dimension to Red Sea Tourism

The development of Shura Links strengthens The Red Sea’s ambition to become a year-round international tourism destination.

Its biggest advantage may be the combination of activities concentrated within one region. Golf provides the anchor, but accommodation, aviation connectivity, marine recreation and desert adventure broaden its appeal considerably.

For European travellers considering a winter golf escape, the destination offers an increasingly distinctive alternative to traditional Mediterranean choices.

As international access develops and additional resorts become established, Shura Island could gain greater visibility within the premium golf-tourism market.

With championship fairways beside mangroves and coastal dunes, luxury resorts nearby and the Red Sea extending beyond the course, Shura Links is positioning Saudi Arabia’s western coastline as a serious new contender for winter golf travel.