Family travel expert Maryanne Peacock checks into Nujuma, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve – Forbes Travel Guide’s 2024 Hotel of the Year, and one of the most compelling new family destinations in the region.
Why book Nujuma, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve
If you’ve been doing the Maldives for years, it’s time to look north. Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea archipelago – part of Red Sea Global’s landmark tourism project – has quietly opened some of the most extraordinary island resorts on the planet, and for families based in the UAE or wider GCC, the case is strong: a short flight, no seaplane transfer, overwater villas, and a coral reef that marine biologists get quietly emotional about. Nujuma, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is the standout. Designed by Foster + Partners and opened in May 2024, it sits on its own private island in the Ummahat archipelago – calmer and more intimate than its neighbour The St. Regis Red Sea Resort, and set up beautifully for families who want the Maldives experience without the 10-hour journey to get there.
Getting to Nujuma
Red Sea International Airport is efficient; immigration less so – a visa well in advance is essential. From plane to villa: 25 minutes in a Mercedes to the marina, then a 45-minute speedboat out to the island. No seaplanes, no complicated connections. The landscape en route is the desert meeting the sea – sculptural and quietly dramatic. In five years this coastline will be full. For now, it still feels like a find.
The villas
Nujuma has 63 shell-shaped villas – overwater and beachfront. Overwater villas perch above the lagoon on stilts, connected by elevated boardwalks with views that stop you mid-sentence. Beach villas sit in soft white sand beneath palms. Inside: floor-to-ceiling windows, clay plaster walls, timber beams, woven textures, a private pool, and – the detail my children discovered before I did – a telescope on the deck for stargazing. Note: children under 12 are in beach villas only, which is worth factoring in when booking. Two-bedroom villas sleep up to four adults and two children, making them the natural choice for families.
Bathrooms have five shower settings, from rainfall to jet spray – unanimously declared the highlight of the trip by my three. I had complicated feelings about this. Diptyque throughout. A bathtub worth using.
Dining and drinking
Five restaurants, all good, one unmissable. Tabrah is built around Saudi Arabia’s fishing heritage – a Spanish chef, fishermen demonstrating net-weaving nearby, a shipwreck offshore as backdrop, and food that was some of the best we ate all trip. Sita shifts between Levantine and French patisserie, with bread baking in a clay oven from early morning. Maia does celestial-themed mocktails (this is a dry resort, worth knowing) under a constellation ceiling. Jamaa keeps things easy at the beachside. In-villa dining is available if you’d rather not move at all.
The reef & water activities
The Red Sea is home to the world’s fourth-largest barrier reef – over 11,000 square miles of coral, hawksbill turtles, dolphins, rays, and hundreds of fish species, largely undisturbed because almost no boats are permitted in the area. Visibility runs to 40 metres. The Galaxea Dive Centre on the island is PADI five-star and runs dives and snorkelling excursions for all ages and levels. Complimentary kayaks and paddleboards are available daily. One caveat: there’s no house reef directly off the villas, so snorkelling and diving require booking an excursion – a small but notable point if spontaneous water access matters to you.
Spa & experiences
Neyrah Spa – Best Spa in Saudi Arabia two years running – has five sea-facing treatment rooms, a hammam, vitality pools, and outdoor cabanas. The standout is Thermal Contrast Therapy: warm pools, guided cold plunges, breathwork. It sounds austere. It is briefly. It’s also excellent. Complimentary rituals – barefoot walks, moonlit yoga, floating sound healing – are offered throughout the week and worth doing.
The Kids & Teens Club (ages 4 to 12) is a proper operation: reading nooks, video games, outdoor climbing, water play, and a programme rooted in the region’s marine life and culture – craft sessions, stargazing, cookie decorating, nature lessons. My children disappeared into it with minimal encouragement and came out knowing things about coral ecosystems. The stargazing sessions at the Conservation House, run by Nujuma’s resident astronomer, are open to the whole family and genuinely not to be missed. My five-year-old called it the best thing we did. She was right.
The service
Warm, intuitive, and never intrusive. Villa hosts check in daily without hovering; restaurant teams remember preferences; spa therapists adapt without being asked. For a resort that opened in 2024, the service is remarkably settled. It feels like it has been running for years.
The verdict
For families in the region wondering whether the Red Sea is worth it yet – it is. Nujuma offers the full island resort experience: overwater and beach villas, world-class reef, a kids’ club that delivers, dining that goes well beyond hotel food, and service that makes the whole thing feel effortless. It’s a shorter flight than the Maldives, without the seaplane faff, and the reef here gives it a serious run for its money. Go now, before everyone else works this out.
Villas from AED 7,500 per night; ritzcarlton.com/nujuma; @nujumareserve
Maryanne Peacock is Near+Far’s resident family-travel expert. UK-born and Dubai-based for over 12 years, she’s built everything from an award-winning podcast, Mother Tongue, to a leading luxury PR agency. With her husband and three young children in tow, she travels widely – and knows exactly what makes a hotel or destination truly work for families. You can follow her on @maryannepeaky
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