Is the Red Sea diving in Saudi Arabia good?

Yes — and considerably undervisited. The Saudi side of the Red Sea received almost no recreational diving pressure for decades due to the country's historically closed tourist policy. The reefs are in exceptional condition. Visibility commonly exceeds 20–30 metres. Coral coverage and fish diversity are high. Yanbu, Jeddah, and especially the Farasan Islands are the standout sites.

Do I need a diving licence to dive in Saudi Arabia?

Yes. A PADI, NAUI, SSI, or equivalent open water certification is required for recreational diving. Dive operators in Yanbu and Jeddah will ask to see your certification card before letting you dive. If you are not certified, some operators offer try-dive experiences with an instructor.

What is the best time for diving in Saudi Arabia?

October through May is the best diving window. Summer (June–September) has hot air temperatures that make surface time uncomfortable, though underwater conditions remain good year-round. Water temperature ranges from 23°C in winter to 32°C in summer — a wetsuit of 3mm is adequate year-round, with a 5mm more comfortable in winter.

Are the Farasan Islands accessible to tourists?

The Farasan Islands are in the southern Red Sea, accessible from Jizan. They are a protected marine reserve and require a permit. Organised diving liveaboards from Jeddah or Yanbu that include the Farasan Islands handle permits as part of the trip. The islands are one of the least-visited diving destinations in the Red Sea system and have extraordinary marine biodiversity.

Red Sea Diving in Saudi Arabia: Yanbu, Jeddah and the Farasan Islands

The Saudi Red Sea coast stretches approximately 1,800 kilometres from the Gulf of Aqaba in the north to the border with Yemen in the south. The reefs along this coastline were largely untouched by recreational diving for decades — Saudi Arabia’s closed tourist policy meant that international dive tourism went to Egypt, Jordan, and Sudan while the Saudi side of the Red Sea was left almost entirely to its marine ecosystem.

The result is reefs in exceptional condition. Since 2019, Saudi dive tourism has developed rapidly, and the Red Sea from Yanbu to the Farasan Islands is now establishing itself as one of the more significant Red Sea diving destinations.

Yanbu

Yanbu is the most accessible major dive destination on the Saudi Red Sea coast — a port city on the Hejaz coast with several offshore reef systems that have been largely untouched.

The Caves of Yanbu: An accessible drift dive along a coral wall with swim-through cave sections. Visibility typically 20+ metres. Common sightings include moray eels, Napoleon wrasse, sea turtles, and schooling fish in large numbers.

Abu Galawa: A shallow reef system with good coral coverage, suitable for beginner divers and snorkellers. Reef shark sightings are common.

Farasan Bank area: Offshore banks accessible from Yanbu for more experienced divers — blue-water diving with pelagic fish.

Several dive operators are established in Yanbu. Day trips to the reefs depart from the marina. Book through our Jeddah/Yanbu tours page.

Jeddah

Jeddah has a growing dive scene. The most popular day-trip sites are:

South Beach Reef: A reef system south of the Jeddah Corniche with good accessibility. Popular for beginner divers.

Shark Pool: A site about 30 minutes offshore from Jeddah known for its resident reef shark population and clean coral.

Multiple dive centres operate from Jeddah, with day trip packages including equipment and guiding. The Red Sea Project — Saudi Arabia’s major tourism development along the coast northwest of Jeddah — is likely to expand diving infrastructure significantly in coming years.

The Farasan Islands

The Farasan Archipelago in the southern Red Sea, accessible from Jizan, is Saudi Arabia’s most biodiverse marine environment. The islands are a protected nature reserve — Red Sea green turtles, dugongs, hammerhead sharks, and spectacular coral gardens all feature.

The Farasan Islands are not day-trip territory. The best access is via a liveaboard dive vessel from Jeddah or Yanbu. These trips typically run 5–7 days. Permits are required (handled by operators). The islands see so few divers that some sites have genuinely pristine conditions.

Practical Information

Certification: PADI Open Water or equivalent required. Most operators offer try-dive introductions for non-certified visitors.

Equipment: Wetsuit (3mm year-round, 5mm for winter), mask, fins, BCD, and regulator. Most operators provide rental equipment at reasonable rates.

Best months: October–May for comfortable surface conditions. Year-round diving is feasible but July–September is hot.

Visa: Saudi tourist eVisa valid for diving trips — there is no separate permit required for recreational diving.

Decompression facilities: Medical facilities in Yanbu and Jeddah include hyperbaric chambers for decompression emergencies — important information for any diver to know before planning a trip.