Why Yanbu on the Red Sea is fast becoming one of Saudi Arabia’s must-visit destinations

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Besides magnificent annual flower, bird and butterfly shows, the western Saudi town of Yanbu is attracting tourists with its rich biodiversity. (Shutterstock)
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Besides magnificent annual flower, bird and butterfly shows, the western Saudi town of Yanbu is attracting tourists with its rich biodiversity. (Shutterstock)
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Besides magnificent annual flower, bird and butterfly shows, the western Saudi town of Yanbu is attracting tourists with its rich biodiversity. (Shutterstock)
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Besides magnificent annual flower, bird and butterfly shows, the western Saudi town of Yanbu is attracting tourists with its rich biodiversity. (Shutterstock)
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Besides magnificent annual flower, bird and butterfly shows, the western Saudi town of Yanbu is attracting tourists with its rich biodiversity. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 13 May 2022
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Why Yanbu on the Red Sea is fast becoming one of Saudi Arabia’s must-visit destinations

  • Beyond its scenic charm, favorable climate and natural beauty, Yanbu has a particular appeal for history buffs
  • own’s historic architecture, including a house where T. E. Lawrence once lived, have been faithfully restored

DUBAI: Just a few hours’ drive west of Madinah is the historic port town of Yanbu, the second largest settlement on Saudi Arabia’s western Red Sea coast. With its curious heritage and growing wealth of attractions, this unassuming coastal gem is fast becoming a must-visit destination in its own right.

Visitors to Yanbu can traipse along the town’s historic harbor, enjoy Red Sea-caught fish prepared in the local style, and explore the recently restored Souq Al-Lail, or night market, where they can buy local dates, green mulukhiyah leaves, as well as other sweets and delicacies.

At night, the old harbor area comes alive with locals flocking to outdoor eateries overlooking the tranquil waters, protected from the waves by unspoilt coral reefs that have long lured divers to the coastline.




Yanbu's iconic lighthouse overlooking the town's coastal area by the Red Sea. (Shutterstock)

As one of the oldest ports on the Red Sea, Yanbu has a history reaching back at least 2,500 years, when it served as a crucial staging post on the ancient spice and incense route from Yemen to Egypt and onward to the wider Mediterranean.

Its strategic importance in the world of commerce continues to this day. Further south along the coast from the idyllic old town is an important petroleum shipping terminal that is home to three oil refineries, a plastics factory, and several other petrochemical plants.

While Yanbu has long enjoyed a reputation as a place of commerce, it is now developing into something of a tourism hotspot.




The market in the heritage village of Yanbu Al-Nakhl. (Shutterstock)

“In the past, most tourists were from Saudi Arabia, but now we are getting more foreigners, from France, Germany, and the UK,” Ghazi Al-Enezi, who runs the Riyadh-based operator Ghazi Tours, told Arab News.

“Yanbu has been receiving many visitors via cruises from Jeddah, cities in Egypt and Jordan.”

In 2014, Al-Enezi was named the Best Tour Guide in the Kingdom by the Saudi government. Since then, his fledgling operation has grown into a successful enterprise, with 12 members of staff operating tours across the country and a wealth of local and international clients.

The Kingdom’s growing tourism market has offered a boost to Yanbu’s hospitality industry, with the recent opening of a Novotel, a Holiday Inn, and the Al-Ahlam Tourism Resort. This in turn has drummed up new business for local cafes and restaurants.




Yanbu's nice weather make the coastal town a favorite escape during the summer months. (Shutterstock)

“Many hotels and restaurants are opening now, and local people are also trying to serve visitors their own local dishes,” said Al-Enezi. “The weather is nice as well. It doesn’t get too hot in the summer, which means during the hot months people can escape to Yanbu.”

Beyond its scenic charm, favorable climate and natural beauty, Yanbu also has a particular appeal for history buffs. The British army intelligence officer T.E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, lived in Yanbu for a time between 1915 and 1916 in a typical Hijazi building.

The British archaeologist, diplomat and writer became famous for his role in the Arab Revolt and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.

Lawrence was deployed to the region to help the Arabs overthrow their Ottoman rulers, who had sided with Germany against Britain and France.




Lawrence of Arabia, left, and the renovated house in Yanbu where he lived between 1915 and 1916. (Getty Images)

On Dec. 1, 1916, the Ottoman forces of Fakhri Pasha launched a daring offensive against Yanbu with the aim of reestablishing control over the strategically vital port.

After some initial Ottoman successes, the Arabs counterattacked with the support of five British Royal Navy warships anchored off the coast. By Jan. 18, 1917, the Ottomans were in full retreat.

Yanbu served as a supply and operations base for Arab and British forces for the remainder of the war.




Yanbu industrial harbor. (Shutterstock)

In 1975, the Saudi government decided to transform Yanbu into one of the country’s two new industrial centers, the other being Jubail on the Arabian Gulf.

Since then, state and private development projects in Yanbu have boosted its economic value and prestige, attracting huge petrochemical and logistics infrastructure.

Today, as the Kingdom undergoes a fresh transformation, heralded by the Vision 2030 economic and social reform agenda, Yanbu’s fortunes are once again shifting — this time toward tourism, heritage and culture.

In 2020, the Ministry of Tourism launched a project to restore T.E. Lawrence’s Hejazi house, renovating its white stone walls and ornate wooden screens in what would become the first of the ministry’s efforts to revive the old town of Yanbu.




Heritage houses being restored in Yanbu. (Shutterstock)

Soon, other traditional Arabian homes followed, with sensitive restoration work launched to restore their coral-stone walls and wooden latticed windows to their former glory. The rebirth of Yanbu’s authentic architecture has made the city a highly desirable place to visit.

Since then, a host of tour operators have sprung up across Yanbu to cater for this recent influx of visitors.

Al-Enezi, who has run tours in Yanbu since 2008, offers a choice of two main tours — one along the coast that features a visit to Oyster Island, known for its pristine beaches and clear waters, and another into the urban heart of Yanbu that acquaints visitors with local heritage and crafts.




Ghazi Al-Enezi was named the Best Tour Guide in the Kingdom in 2014. (Supplied)

He also takes visitors to Umluj, which is situated 150 km north of Yanbu. Often referred to as the “Maldives of Saudi Arabia,” the coastal town is made up of more than 100 small islands where hotels and other attractions are now under construction.

Also outside the town, thrill-seeking visitors are drawn to Radwa Mount, with its red-hued jagged peaks towering some 2,282 meters above sea level, making it the highest point in the Al-Nakhil range.

Known for its rich biodiversity, including lynx, tigers, ibex and wolves, visitors can enjoy a safari tour along the rugged highland landscape and stop at high-altitude villages to sample the local honey.




Yanbu also boasts of attractive highland landscapes. (Shutterstock)

For Al-Enezi, the tourism industry in Yanbu is unrecognizable today from what passed for it when he began organizing tours there 14 years ago.

“It was hard for the few of us working in the business in the beginning because at that time the Saudi government wasn’t focused on tourism and not many people were coming to visit the Kingdom,” he told Arab News.

“But this is now a growing and changing business.”


King Salman appoints Dr. Majid Al-Fayyad as advisor to the Saudi Royal Court

Updated 09 July 2025
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King Salman appoints Dr. Majid Al-Fayyad as advisor to the Saudi Royal Court

  • Al-Fayyad has been executive general supervisor at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre since 2017
  • He graduated in 1990 from King Saud University’s medical school and has amassed decades of clinical, academic and administrative experience

JEDDAH: In a royal order issued on Wednesday, King Salman appointed Dr. Majid Al-Fayyad as an advisor to the Saudi Royal Court.

Al-Fayyad is the executive general supervisor at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, which has facilities in Riyadh, Madinah and Jeddah. He graduated in 1990 from the medical school at King Saud University in Riyadh, and has amassed decades of clinical, academic and administrative experience.

In the US, he undertook specialized training in pediatrics at Tufts University, and in pediatric cardiology at Columbia University. He holds several certifications and degrees, including a master’s in medical administration awarded by the University of Southern California in 2015.

He was appointed in 2017 to his current position at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, where he has helped spearhead key reforms to the Saudi healthcare sector. He has also played important roles in national healthcare committees and initiatives, earning recognition for his contributions to research and administration.


Saudi deputy FM receives UK ambassador in Riyadh

Updated 09 July 2025
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Saudi deputy FM receives UK ambassador in Riyadh

Saudi Deputy Minister for International Multilateral Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Rassi was visited by UK Ambassador to the Kingdom Neil Crompton in Riyadh on Wednesday.

The ambassador visited to bid farewell on the occasion of the end of his tenure in the Kingdom, the Foreign Ministry wrote in a post on X.

Al-Rassi praised the ambassador’s efforts in strengthening and advancing relations between the two countries.


Riyadh museum to host interactive camp for kids

Updated 09 July 2025
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Riyadh museum to host interactive camp for kids

JEDDAH: The National Museum in Riyadh will launch its third interactive summer camp, themed “Made in the Museum,” for children aged 10 to 12, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The initiative is part of the “Year of Handicrafts,” celebrating Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage and its role in shaping national identity and intergenerational bonds.

The camp has two sessions: July 21-31 and Aug. 4-14, running daily from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., both inside the museum and outdoors.

Designed as an educational and immersive experience, the camp invites participants to explore and revive traditional Saudi crafts, the SPA added.

Children will engage in hands-on activities in four core tracks: clay crafts, textiles, woodworking, and supportive crafts, blending play, learning, and exploration.

This year’s camp strengthens the museum’s role as a community hub, providing children with opportunities to develop critical thinking and design skills while inspiring their imagination and showing the cultural and economic importance of handicrafts.

The camp encourages children to make and show their projects at the end of each session, helping them feel confident and encouraging new ideas and creativity.


Riyadh hospital succeeds in rare disease treatment

Updated 09 July 2025
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Riyadh hospital succeeds in rare disease treatment

  • The hospital has provided 22 years of care for a patient with a rare genetic blood clotting disorder, culminating in a successful liver transplant — the first worldwide for this condition

RIYADH: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh has provided 22 years of care for a patient with a rare genetic blood clotting disorder, culminating in a successful liver transplant — the first worldwide for this condition.

Diagnosed in infancy with congenital plasminogen deficiency, the patient required ongoing treatment to manage fibrous deposits affecting her tissues and organs, according to a press release.

Over the two decades, a multidisciplinary team including hematology, transplant specialists, nursing, nutrition and IT supported her care, the report said.

The patient’s father said: “She suffered from birth and couldn’t nurse. We had no clear answers until we found hope through the care provided by the Saudi government. After 22 years of struggle, we witness our daughter’s recovery.”

The treatment involved regular plasminogen infusions and eyedrops to reduce the disease’s effect on her vision, with annual costs exceeding SR6 million ($1.6 million), fully covered by the government.

Dr. Hazzaa Al-Zahrani, director of the adult hematology and stem-cell transplant division at the center and supervising physician, said that managing the case required a precise and long-term approach to prevent complications and ensure stability.

He said that the decision to proceed with a liver transplant came after careful consideration as an extraordinary therapeutic option for this exceptionally rare case.

The procedure’s success marked a turning point in her medical journey and was a beacon of hope for patients with similar conditions worldwide, Al-Zahrani added.


Program to boost youth, SME role in Saudi economy

Updated 09 July 2025
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Program to boost youth, SME role in Saudi economy

RIYADH: The Small and Medium Enterprises Loan Guarantee Program, known as Kafalah, in collaboration with the Riyadh Chamber, will hold interactive sessions on July 15 to mark World Youth Skills Day.

The initiative aims to raise awareness and develop entrepreneurial skills among youth, entrepreneurs and SMEs, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The sessions will cover key topics to boost youth contributions to national economic development, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan.

Focus areas include access to finance, building administrative and financial capabilities, enhancing SME sustainability, and turning ideas into viable projects.

These sessions highlight the collaboration between entities supporting the SME sector in the Kingdom, the SPA added.

The Kafalah program and Riyadh Chamber aim to foster youth growth and strengthen their role in the national economy.

Kafalah supports micro, small and medium enterprises by providing financial guarantees, improving their access to financing and reducing lending risks for banks.