Shebara
Seventy-three mirrored spheres on a Red Sea island, built off site so the reef was never touched.
Shebara occupies Sheybarah Island in the Saudi Red Sea, reached by seaplane or boat. The island is flat, sandy and surrounded by reef in close to untouched condition. One resort occupies it. Like the rest of this coast it sits under a development framework that caps keys and protects the marine area, and the reefs here have had almost no visitor history.
Seventy-three villas, many over water, are stainless-steel shells polished to a mirror finish so they reflect the sea and sky and half disappear into them. They were prefabricated on the mainland and floated into position, so almost no construction happened over the reef itself. It is among the most distinctive resort architecture built anywhere this decade, and the engineering was the reason for the form as much as the look.
The method was the point. Building on land and floating the villas out meant the reef was not a construction site. The mirrored finish followed from the prefabrication, not the other way round.
Architecture as the reason to come. Very few properties in this register would be visited for their buildings alone. This is one of them.
Who it is not for
Shebara is wrong for guests who want traditional island architecture and thatch — nothing here resembles it. It is wrong for travellers seeking a long-established destination with familiar logistics and a track record of reviews. And it is wrong for anyone who finds a mirrored steel sphere a strange place to sleep, which is a reasonable position. Those wanting the same water in a softer register should look at Nujuma.
Sources
- shebara.com — seventy-three villas, Sheybarah Island, prefabricated stainless-steel structures
- Villa count, construction method details and opening date unverified. Confirm before publication.
Booking
Private Island Resorts arranges each stay on request, quoting the rates available for the island and dates. No benefit should be assumed unless it is confirmed in writing for the individual reservation.
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