Saudi entertainment and hospitality company Sela has signed separate agreements to establish the inaugural Red Sea Yacht Show and support development of a specialist luxury yacht maintenance facility in Jeddah.
The agreements were signed at Monaco Yacht Show 2026. Sela and Tahaluf will deliver the Red Sea Yacht Show from 14 to 17 October 2027 at Jeddah Yacht Club & Marina. Organisers are targeting about 50 yachts, 150 exhibitors and more than 10,000 visitors for the first event of its kind in Saudi Arabia.
The show is intended to connect international yacht builders, suppliers, owners and operators with commercial opportunities emerging across the Red Sea. Its Jeddah location places it close to developing tourism destinations including AMAALA and Shura Island, as well as the existing Jeddah Yacht Club & Marina.
Dedicated superyacht maintenance facility
In a separate memorandum of understanding, Sela and ICON Saudi set out a framework for cooperation on a dedicated superyacht maintenance facility in Jeddah.
The partners aim to develop local technical capability, bring international expertise into the Saudi market and provide yacht owners and operators with access to specialist maintenance closer to their cruising area.
The proposal addresses a gap in the regional service market. Major maintenance work on luxury yachts operating in the Red Sea is currently carried out mainly at facilities outside Saudi Arabia, particularly in Europe. A domestic facility could reduce repositioning requirements and support vessels based in or visiting the region.
Specialist services
The maintenance project is expected to complement Jeddah’s existing marina infrastructure and the wider expansion of marine tourism along the Saudi Red Sea coast. Beyond repair and maintenance activity, it is intended to support skills transfer and the development of local specialist services, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives for tourism and economic diversification.
Together, the show and proposed service site form complementary parts of a year-round yachting strategy: the event is designed to attract international businesses and yachts to Jeddah, while the maintenance facility would provide technical support between show dates and during wider Red Sea cruising programmes.
Neither agreement provides a construction timetable, investment value, planned capacity or opening date for the maintenance facility.
