Red Sea and Arabian Gulf Overwater
The Red Sea and the Gulf make up the newest overwater market in the world and the only one being built at scale right now. Dubai has had water villas off the Palm for years, Doha has villas over the Gulf, and Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast has opened resorts on reefs that almost nobody has snorkelled. The water is warm and clear, the flights from Europe are short, and the season runs opposite to the Maldives, with a summer that is genuinely too hot to sit outside. We cover what has actually opened and take a hard line on anything that is still a render, a launch date or a construction site.
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Spiral-form overwater Coral Villas inspired by the surrounding reef ecosystem on Ummahat Island in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea, each with massive decks and direct access to pristine coral gardens.
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Shell-inspired overwater villas designed by Foster and Partners on Ummahat Islands in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea, with panoramic windows and direct access to pristine coral ecosystems.
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Dubai's only overwater villas sit at this five-star resort on Palm Jumeirah, each with a glass floor cutout and private infinity pool to watch the lagoon from your deck.
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Banana Island is a private resort crescent off Doha holding only eleven overwater villas total, each three bedrooms across 220 square meters with private decks and pools looking out to the Arabian Gulf.
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Ras Al Khaimah's first overwater villas float above mangrove waters on the Arabian Gulf, ranging from intimate 82-square-meter studios to sprawling 365-square-meter two-bedroom royals with private pools and decks.
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Futuristic overwater villas clad in polished stainless steel on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, each anchored by an infinity pool and direct water access over pristine coral reef.
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Luxury eco-resort on a private Arabian Gulf island with overwater villas, a wildlife sanctuary, and adventure activities led by Bear Grylls' survival academy. A newer alternative to the Red Sea resorts, set just 30 minutes by boat from Bahrain.