Saudi Arabia offer an unique travel experience. This country is rich in history : the first traces of humankind were discovered here and has since been home to many of the world’s ancient cultures, the birthplace of Islam, the second-largest religion in the world. Yet very few know, this country also is truly spectacular for scuba diving.
Saudi Arabia has 1830km of coastline on the Red Sea and over 500km of coastline on the Persian Gulf. Due to prior travel restrictions, has some of the last untouched and little dived reefs of the Red Sea. Recnet years this country has made substantial investments in tourism infrastructure, particularly in the Red Sea.
Divers will find great diversity between this country’s northern and southern areas : wrecks, colorful coral reefs, and immaculate fish life abound. Hundreds of undiscovered potential dive sites, many untold stories are waiting to be revealed through the discovery of shipwrecks dating back to the beginning of Islamic times.
The Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia is probably the most unspoiled of all the Red Sea. Words such as “pristine” and “untouched” are commonly heard to describe it. When describing the Saudi Arabian coast, Jacques Cousteau said, “Life abounds in bank after bank of exuberant coral structures.”
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea diving is similar to Egypt’s. Divers can expect warm waters, good visibility, lots of colorful coral and fish life, some caves and caverns to explore, and wrecks.
The wrecks here are common ranging from hundreds of years old to fairly new. Some of the other popular wrecks include the Boiler Wreck at Abu Madafi reef, the Ann-Ann wreck on the Abu Faramish reef,The Miss Marie is also close to Jeddah and covered in coral. Many other wrecks are also found on the reefs.
Diving Seasons
Saudi Arabia is a year-round diving destination, divers can expect warm waters and good visibility most of the year. And diving condition in The Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea averages water temperatures averages around 30°C in the summer months (July - September) and as cool as 24°C in the winter months (December - February). In the Persian Gulf, sea temperatures as warm as 32C in the summer and as cool as 24C in the winter.
Saudi Arabia itself is very warm year round with desert conditions. In the summer air temperatures can be from 27°C - 43°C, and drop to 10°C - 20°C in the winter. There is very little rain, with only a slight change in the winter months.
Throughout the year, pelagic species follow seasonal changes in water temperatures and currents, moving north in summer, and heading further south in winter. All of the Liveaboard itineraries tend to follow these pelagic migrations, exploring the northern sites near Yanbu between June and September and the southern Farasan Banks, between November and May.
Divers can expect to see numerous species of sharks which include the hammerhead sharks, turtles all year round, manta rays and stingrays are often seen from June to October, Whale sharks are often seen around the Farasan Banks in April, or Jabal Al Lith between the months of February.
Diving Areas in Saudi Arabia
Makkah Province & Jeddah
Diving in Makkah Province offers a unique blend of spectacular Red Sea marine life, fascinating culture, and delicious cuisine. This region is home to the best diving in Saudi Arabia. Makkah Provence is fast becoming a diving mecca, where most of the Saudi cities that offer scuba diving are found.
The coastal town of Jeddah offers excellent daily diving through a combination of resort shore dives and boat dives. It is one of the most popular dive destinations in Saudi Arabia, you will still be able to see something new every day. This stretch of coastline is full of various sites with excellent visibility and lots of wreck dives. Do not miss Cable Wreck, Ann Ann Wreck, Miss Marie, and the Boiler Wreck.
The Farasan Banks is also an excellent site to explore with gorgonian covered pinnacles, shoals of colorful fish, and sharks galore. This bank is an archipelago of 84 islands only recently open to the public which includes the Farasan Island Marine Sanctuary. You can have the chance to see humpack whale in the month of October, dolphins are often seen year round too. This area is known for having fantastic visibility and an abundance of marine life.
Another great city for diving is Rabigh, which offers some of the best dive sites in Saudi Arabia, including the very popular Five Sisters Reef. This area features a nearly untouched, vast shoreline.
Makkah Provence also includes Allaith and its offshore islands that boast excellent reefs and the legendary wreck of a Portuguese fleet—shipwrecked in the 17th century. Most of the fleet ran aground on the coral reef islands, where it still lies today, awaiting discovery. Water temperatures range from 23 - 30 C throughout the year, making diving in Saudi Arabia excellent year-round.
Tabuk Province
Home to both the Red Sea Project and NEOM, two large coastal development projects, the Tabuk Provence is soon to become a top tourist destination along the Red Sea. This area has all the makings to rival the most popular dive destinations of Egypt. The underwater world of this stretch of the Red Sea is nearly untouched and will surely satisfy even the most experienced diver’s curiosity. With water temperatures ranging from 25 - 30 C, diving is excellent here year-round with amazing visibility. These crystal-clear waters are bordered by sheltered, sandy beaches, perfect for a lazy afternoon.
Divers can expect to see dolphins, manta rays, eagle rays, different kinds of turtles, ocean sunfish (especially in May), barracuda, wrasse and much much more.
Madinah Region
Madinah is a large province with a relatively small stretch of coastline, it is home to some of the best diving in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea. Locations such as Yanbu and Alrayes Beach lie towards the northern part of the country where spectacular natural formations and beautiful coral reefs are waiting to be explored.
Yanbu offers untouched reefs and crystal-clear water. Seven Sisters is a breathtaking cluster of reef islands, filled with colorful coral and vast fish diversity. Divers often visit “the sisters“ for hammerhead shark sightings as they patrol these waters nearly year-round. Getting here to witness this undisturbed ecosystem is worth the extra effort.
The water temperature and salinity of the Red Sea in this area promote excellent coral growth, providing better habitat for more complex marine life. With water temperatures ranging from 25 - 30 C throughout the year, diving in the Madinah Region is excellent year-round.
