Inside The Futuristic Shebara Resort In Saudi Arabia With Mirrored Overwater Villas

Forbes

11 hours ago

Overwater pod villa at Shebara Resort on the Red Sea Shebara Resort
O
n a chain of untouched islands off Saudi Arabia's Tabuk Province, Shebara Resort rises from the Red Sea like something out of a science fiction movie. Created by Dubai-based Killa Design and developed by Red Sea Global, the enclave of 38 overwater villas and 35 beachfront retreats is a remarkable experiment in radical architecture. From above, the orb-shaped villas resemble a string of pearls casually lying across the lagoon, their mirrored shells reflecting the sky and sea until the boundary between building and landscape nearly vanishes.
Aerial view of Shebara Resort on the Red Sea Shebara Resort
For famed designer Paolo Ferrari, founder of Toronto's Studio Paolo Ferrari, the challenge was to ensure the interiors matched the resort's otherworldly exterior. 'We began with the idea of natural futurism,' Ferrari tells me. 'We wanted the spaces to feel forward-looking but grounded in minerality, nature, and craft. It was always about balancing refined engineering with the warmth of something human and handmade.'
That philosophy comes alive the moment you step inside. Curved walls embrace sculptural furnishings, such as sofas that bend with the architecture, bed frames that grow seamlessly into nightstands, and a monolithic bar cabinet that opens hydraulically to reveal a red leather interior. 'Every detail is a negotiation between engineering and artistry,' Ferrari explains. 'Circular mirrors float like planets above vanities, glass pendants hover like droplets over onyx dining tables, and baths mimic the tidal flow outside. It's about creating an environment that feels both elemental and extraterrestrial.'
Aerial view of Main resort and pool at Shebara Shebara Resort
Material choices became central to Shebera's visual aesthetic. 'We made an early decision to use polished stainless steel inside as a key anchoring material,' Ferrari recalls. 'That choice alone pushed the resort into a new direction. It takes barefoot luxury and flips it on its head. You don't expect to see stainless steel in a villa, and suddenly it feels refined, radical, and fresh.'
Perhaps the most unusual feature is the in-room bar. At first glance, it looks like a suspended steel orb, its purpose entirely mysterious. 'We wanted an object that was iconic, almost sculptural,' Ferrari says. 'Only when you touch the hidden buttons does it open, revealing a leather-wrapped interior. It's an entirely new way to think about hospitality design-something functional becoming the room's most surprising, memorable gesture.'
Steel orb bar cabinet floats over the living room. Shebara Resort
Bedroom in overwater villa at Shebara Resort Ema Peter Photography
Interior design featuring onyx bed frame. Studio Paolo Ferrari
The beachfront villas have the same futuristic design but emphasize the wider space with expansive terraces, infinity pools, and a seamless flow between sand and sea—the most exclusive residences, the Crown and Royal Villas, occupy their own islets. 'In the Royal Villa, the bed itself is carved from a single block of onyx,' Ferrari notes. 'That's where you really see the level of craft and ambition in this project. Its architecture expressed through furniture, furniture expressed through architecture.'
While design is Shebara's showstopper, the guest experience is another bonus. Visitors can choose between five signature restaurants, from Michelin Chef Marco Garfagnini's Mediterranean Ariamare to the Japanese-Nikkei concept iki.roe , or retreat to the large spa offering pearl and caviar treatments with a meteorite scrub. Pools, yoga pavilions, underwater water adventures, and a dedicated kids club are among the available activities.
Lobby at Shebara Resort Shebara Resort
Main pool at Shebara Resort Shebara Resort
But perhaps most important is Shebara's ecological focus. The entire resort runs off-grid, powered by its own solar farm, desalination plant, and circular waste management system, earning LEED Platinum certification. 'We wanted to design something astonishing, yes, but also something responsible,' says Ferrari. 'The mirrored architecture doesn't impose- it reflects back the coral reef, the mangroves, the desert. It disappears into the very landscape it celebrates.'
Accessible from its own dedicated Red Sea International Airport, a quick seaplane ride or a 40-minute boat ride from Turtle Bay, Shebara feels like another planet. For Ferrari, it represents a new frontier in hospitality design. 'There's a ubiquity in how luxury resorts are often approached,' he says. 'Here, we wanted to subvert that to create something iconic, futuristic, but still undeniably human. A place where architecture, nature, and craft are all in dialogue.'
Shebara is not just another island resort. It is a thrilling experiment at the edge of the Red Sea, where avant-garde design and ecological responsibility mix, and where, as Ferrari puts it, 'luxury doesn't just meet nature-it mirrors it.'
Gym at Shebara Resort Shebara Resort
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