Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Ummahat Al Shaykh Island, The Red Sea — Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve occupies Ummahat Al Shaykh — a private island within the Red Sea project archipelago off Saudi Arabia’s western coast. The name comes from the Arabic word for stars, a reference to the Bedouin tradition of navigating by the night sky across uncharted territory. Reaching the island requires a seaplane or chartered boat from the mainland. Consequently, the sense of arrival is earned rather than simply transferred from road to lobby, and the distance from Saudi Arabia’s urban centres is genuinely felt.
Nujuma is the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Middle East. The Reserve tier sits above the standard Ritz-Carlton brand — fewer rooms, more personalised service, stronger environmental integration and a deliberate emphasis on place rather than amenity count. Furthermore, the coral reef systems surrounding Ummahat Al Shaykh rank among the most intact in the Red Sea, giving the marine environment here a scientific significance that extends well beyond the hospitality offer itself.
The Island and Marine Environment
Ummahat Al Shaykh sits within the Blue Hole cluster of islands — a protected marine area within the Red Sea project’s conservation framework. Red Sea Global, the developer, manages the surrounding reef as a conservation zone rather than treating it as a backdrop for water sports. As a result, the coral cover around the island remains extraordinarily intact. Dive visibility regularly exceeds thirty metres. The reef supports a diversity of fish, ray and shark species that the more heavily visited Egyptian and Jordanian Red Sea cannot consistently match. Beyond the reef, the island terrain itself transitions between white sand beach, native vegetation and the open sea horizon — a sensory environment of rare simplicity and clarity.
Accommodation
Nujuma offers sixty-three villas across overwater and beach categories, including one and two-bedroom configurations. The villa design draws on the form of seashells — curved, organic structures that sit low against the water or the sand rather than rising above the landscape. Interiors use natural tones and materials throughout, with wall-to-wall windows that frame the sea from every room. Each villa has a private pool and a telescope — the latter connecting to the property’s founding narrative about navigating by starlight. Moreover, solar power runs the entire resort, and the construction materials were chosen specifically to minimise thermal impact on the surrounding reef ecosystem.
The Conservation House and Experiences
The Conservation House is one of the most distinctive elements of the Nujuma experience. It functions as a cultural and environmental interpretation centre where resident naturalists lead sessions on the Red Sea’s ecology, the island’s geography and Saudi Arabia’s maritime heritage. Additionally, guided diving and snorkelling expeditions explore the surrounding reef with the same depth of ecological knowledge that the Conservation House provides on land. The result is a property where the marine environment becomes a subject of genuine engagement rather than simply a view from a private pool.
Dining
Nujuma’s dining programme uses the island setting deliberately rather than defaulting to an international hotel menu format. Local fishermen supply the kitchen with species from the surrounding Red Sea. Saudi culinary traditions inform the preparation alongside broader coastal and regional influences. Furthermore, outdoor dining formats — on the beach, at the water’s edge, on private villa terraces — connect the meal directly to the landscape in a way that indoor restaurants cannot. The Neyrah Spa extends the property’s wellness offer with treatments that draw on the mineral-rich Red Sea environment.
When to Visit
The Red Sea coast at Nujuma is accessible year-round. Water temperatures remain comfortable in every month. However, October through May offers the best conditions for overland travel between Nujuma and the rest of Saudi Arabia — allowing the Red Sea stay to combine naturally with AlUla, Aseer or Diriyah without the summer heat making road travel difficult. December through March provides the strongest diving visibility and the coolest evenings on the island. Additionally, the low visitor numbers outside the Saudi holiday peaks mean that the island’s sense of solitude is at its most complete during the quieter months.
Combining Nujuma with Other Arabia Destinations
Nujuma works as three nights within a wider Saudi Arabia circuit. The overland journey from AlUla to the Red Sea coast creates one of the strongest geographical progressions in the Kingdom — sandstone valley to volcanic terrain to mountain escarpment to island sea. Additionally, Aseer Highlands to the south adds a mountain dimension to the coastal experience. For travellers who want the full Saudi range, combining AlUla, Nujuma and Aseer within a single journey covers archaeology, marine and highland environments in a logical geographical arc.
For the Red Sea: Red Sea
For Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia
For the full Arabian Peninsula: Arabia by Oloi Shorua
If you are considering Nujuma as part of a private Arabian journey, we would be pleased to begin with a conversation.
Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve — ritzcarlton.com
Red Sea Global — redseaglobal.com