The Red Sea destination on Saudi Arabia’s western coast has become the first in the world to be verified by Forbes Travel Guide following a rigorous year-long evaluation process.
Developed by Red Sea Global (RSG), the regenerative tourism destination underwent 12 months of continuous training and testing across 182 service standards covering five key visitor touchpoints: booking, land transfer, marine transfer, air transfer and experiences.
The Red Sea earned its Verified Destination status after a series of Forbes Travel Guide mystery shopper audits assessing personalised service, courtesy, efficiency, cleanliness, luxury, comfort, technical skill and staff appearance – spanning the entire guest journey from initial booking to final farewell.
Hermann Elger, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide, hailed the recognition as “an extraordinary milestone for hospitality,” noting that it required “unwavering commitment at every touchpoint” and adding that “The Red Sea has set a new benchmark for destinations globally”.
Three Red Sea resorts awarded stars
This achievement follows the inclusion of three Red Sea resorts in the Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards 2026. Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, received a Five-Star rating, while St Regis Red Sea Resort achieved Four-Star status and Six Senses Southern Dunes was Recommended.
A record 28 hotels across the GCC secured Five-Star ratings in the 2026 Awards, with Saudi Arabia accounting for three: Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve; The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh; and Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre.
Commenting on the recognition, John Pagano, Group CEO of RSG, said: “Achieving Forbes Travel Guide verification at a destination scale is a powerful validation of the service culture we have built across teams, operators and every touchpoint our guests encounter. This is not a hotel standard. This is a destination standard, and we are proud for The Red Sea to be the first in the world to achieve it.”
Forbes Travel Guide operates the world’s only independent global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruises, with anonymous inspectors, evaluating properties against more than 900 objective standards.
The Red Sea destination progress
The Red Sea welcomed its first guests in 2023 and now features nine operational hotels, including RSG’s ultra-luxury signature properties Shebara and Desert Rock.
On Shura Island, three resorts – SLS, The Edition, and InterContinental – are already open, with eight additional properties set to launch this year.
Also opening in 2026 is Amaala, RSG’s second destination on Saudi’s Red Sea coast, which will centre on transformative wellness experiences.
Red Sea International Airport (RSI), serving both The Red Sea and Amaala, now connects directly to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai, Doha, and Milan.
