The new, multibillion-dollar superyacht destination of Sindalah Island kicked off its recent inauguration with the mother of all superyacht parties.

Nearly 65 vessels, the majority above 165 feet, journeyed to the northern Red Sea for a lively “Red Sea Week” that featured premium entertainment, wine, cuisine, and waterborne activities.

“We were able to bring together more than 650 of the world’s most accomplished and interesting people,” says Luke Bahrenburg, publisher of Robb Report, who organised the event on behalf of Penske Media Corporation, Robb Report’s parent company. “We put together unusual, special culinary moments, helicopter rides, water sports, entertainment, and hopefully many unforgettable memories.”

“The organisers spared no expense and really blew it out of the water,” says Alexander Yulish, a Manhattan-based painter and one of the VIP guests who stayed aboard the 237-foot Bleu de Nimes. “The guests were all sorts—from creatives to CEOs to high-net-worth families. There was a lot of mingling, which really added to the event.”

Shows such as the Monaco Yacht Show and the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) exhibit superyachts to potential buyers, but this event was one of a kind, bringing together yacht owners, captains, world-class chefs, and double the number of guests that organisers had anticipated.

Red Sea Week’s superyacht list was as impressive an assemblage as any single event, rivaling even the Monaco Yacht Show. It included Geco, Golden Odyssey, Cloudbreak, Dar, and historical yachts such as Christina O and Coral Ocean.

“I’ve been on many yachts, but this gathering had a totally different feel,” says Yulish. “Their idea of the next iteration of yachting was really inspiring.”

Having been at the first Red Sea Week in 2019, Yulish recalls a very different environment. “There was a rawness that was palpable—you could almost see fossils coming out of Sindalah’s seawalls,” he says. “This time around it had a different sense of beauty. They developed it but kept a lot of rock formations and other landmarks to keep the balance between old and new.”

“Sindalah is one of the world’s first projects to have a single island designed and built from the ground up,” says Luca Dini, an Italian designer responsible for creating the island’s upscale village vibe. The island encompasses just 20 acres, so Dini had to be inventive to create a full-featured luxury environment that also blended in with the coral reefs and clear waters of the Red Sea.

The designer also added features such as “interactive” quartz columns to provide unique sensory experiences and aesthetic appeal. Traditional Saudi elements such as mosaics were reinvented as ceiling coverings, while fibre optics were embedded into the plaster walls to illuminate at night.

On Sindalah’s coastline, hundreds of thousands of coral pieces were relocated to enhance existing reefs. About 30,000 workers contributed to the island’s five-year development.

The island is the first piece of a larger regional jigsaw puzzle, overseen by state development agency Neom, which has a US$500 billion (HK$3.89 trillion) budget to help diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy via its Saudi Vision 2030 initiative.

Other developments include the advanced industrial city Oxagon, a mountain destination called Trojena, and the Line—a linear “smart city” housed in a single building that will be 110 miles long, 660 feet wide, and 1,600 feet tall.

Beyond being the first Neom development to open, Sindalah will be the crown jewel of the initiative. It’s designed not only for the ultra-wealthy, but specifically for superyachts. The goal is to become the next big yachting and charter destination, rivalling the Caribbean for winter cruising.

For hundreds of yachts that make the annual pilgrimage, not having to cross the Atlantic from the Med and come back again for the summer will be a welcome change. “Fuel and maintenance expenses are crazy for any transatlantic trip,” says Captain George Ioannou, captain of the 181-foot Admiral Geco, which cruised to Sindalah in two days from Greece. “It takes a lot out of the boat and the crew.”

The word “amazing” was repeated many times among crew and captains about Sindalah’s new marina. “The facilities and hospitality were exceptional,” says Ionannou. “In this part of the Red Sea, we’re also safe from what’s happening in the rest of the region.”

The marina harbour has 85 berths for yachts up to 165 feet, while buoys just outside accommodate gigayachts to 550 feet. The full-service marina includes a yacht club, while the island has a sports club, a spa and wellness centre, more than 51 luxury retail outlets, a golf course, and 38 restaurants, including nine fine-dining establishments and three pop-up eateries on rooftops. 

The island also offers catered cuisine for the superyachts. Neom plans to build other marinas in the area, creating a cruising ground for visiting vessels.

Red Sea Week included a broad swath of owners and yachts from all over the world, including Europe, the US, and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the island’s development in late 2022, and several members of the Saudi royal family were on hand for the official opening.

Red Sea Week featured A-list entertainers such as Alicia Keys, opera singer Katherine Jenkins, and comedian Chris Tucker, as well Saudi entertainers Aref Jaman, Hatoon Idrees, and Eli. Helicopter rides, scuba and snorkelling, private yoga sessions, and personal concierge shopping at Sindalah’s high-end retailers—including Kiton, Jil Sander, and Santoni—were part of the itinerary.

“They had this amazing light show that felt like you were on another planet,” says Yulish. “All these lights pierced the black, inky sky, almost trying to bring the stars onto the ground. It felt like someone’s dream, but was so real you could almost touch and taste it.”

The week included tastings of world-class caviar and wine, plus cuisine from two of Italy’s most celebrated chefs, Carlo Cracco and Norbert Niederkofler, as well as other chefs as part of Robb Report’s Culinary Masters event. On the island, 12 eateries will be backed by Michelin-starred chefs.

“The organisers did this week in such a beautiful way,” says Yulish. “The events felt more like life experiences than going to different booths at convention hall. People were sharing what they’d created—whether it was the chefs with their wonderful food or listening to live opera. There was also a kindness that made the week special, spontaneous.”

Sindalah is still under development, though the marina, yacht club, golf course, and several hotels and restaurants are open for business. Eventually, the island will have 413 luxury hotel rooms and 333 apartments from brands such as Four Seasons and Marriott, along with multiple types of restaurants and high-end retail establishments.

By 2028, organisers expect to accommodate several thousand people per day.

But the kind of welcome the superyacht community received during Red Sea Week was a one-time affair. “Everything was so well curated,” says Yulish. “They only left the magic to chance, but there was no shortage of that, either.”