The western coastline (2,500 km) of Saudi Arabia is on the RED SEA, and there is a tremendous amount of shore diving with mainly 200 - 300 meter walkouts to the reef edge. Diving is generally good with some excellent dive sites. Sadly around Jeddah, construction of private beach resorts has increased with no respect to the marine environment. When I left Saudi in 1997, there was evidence that this was also going to occur in South Jeddah. Construction of concrete jetties to the reef edge was common as was the filling-in of the lagoons. Again human greed and ignorance combine to destroy what is beautiful on this planet.
NORTH OF JEDDAH
Some interesting sites many of which I did not manage to dive, however two that I did frequent include
MASTOURAH 
The diving here was reasonably good with a "normal" range of reef fish. The major hassle factor here was the coastguard who were very anti-camera. Easy to hide a Nikonos but not a housing.
RABIGH
Incredible dive site, coastguard problems here too though, especially if travelling with female partners to whom one was not related.
The wall diving here is superb with many sharks, rays and turtles. Fish life in general was outrageously fantastic.
NORTH OBHUR
Incredible amount of fantastic sites here have been destroyed by building with no regard to what they are doing. Jet skis also provide a nice hazard when
surfacing.
AL BILAD BEACH
Easy shore diving with some interesting spots on this part of the reef which, is at the mouth of Sharm Obhur (The Creek). One of my favourite spots.
AL NAKHEEL BEACH
A wooden jetty here reduces the walkout, but intensive diver training had trashed a good bit of this reef. However despite this there was still some interesting marine life to be found.
BLUE BEACH
One of the few beaches without a jetty and relatively unspoilt. I co-shared a cabin on this beach for a couple of years and once I got to know the reef it became almost a second home. This was John Randell's RED SEA REEF FISH book come alive. Night diving here was magnificent (and easy) with Spanish Dancers a common sight plus electric rays, and even frogfish
IRONWORKS
Used to be one of the great sites before it was all closed off, a matter of climbing over a breakwater and straight onto the reef, too easy.
THE PINNACLES
A favourite amongst the photography fraternity, long walkout but friendly coastguard. Lots of interesting life on the pinnacles and an even more interesting underwater mound a bit further out at 30 metres
SHARM OBHUR
More commonly known as THE CREEK, this is a very under rated site with some special "secret sites" that should remain that way.
ANDULUS MARINA
The ultimate NIGHT DIVE spot, fall off the jetty and that's it. The most dodgy bit was avoiding the coastguard.
a re-cycled bottle!
Small Moray eel, Nikon F801, 105mm lens, Aquatica Housing, YS120 strobe on Fuji Velvia.
BROKEN DOCK
A great spot when it was rough outside, loads of nudibranchs around and the spot where Jurgan found the seahorses.
OUTER REEFS (JEDDAH AREA)
TOWER REEF
Some marvelous sites on this reef including a wreck (STEFANOS aka Cable Wreck), the CUT and SOUTH TOWER which has incredible black coral bushes at 35 metres populated by longnose hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus).
Longnose Hawkfish, Nikon F801, 105mm lens, Aquatica Housing, YS50 strobe on Fuji Velvia
5 MILE REEF
COMA REEF
BLACK AND WHITE
MARBLE WRECK
CHICKEN WRECK
NORTH CORNICHE
An area for MALES ONLY, as the coastguard had regular patrols here, and it was in a rather public area. Women could do night dives here though, easier to sneak in.
BLADES
An incredible wall with several caves at around 26 metres.
SOUTH CORNICHE
MECCA WRECK
An incredible wreck dive but a 2 km walkout, we always towed a spare tank and some food doing a second dive after a surface interval on the reef. Fantastic marine life including sharks, rays, and shoals of other fish including baraccuda, snapper and sweetlips. Could be a rough exit entry, therefore for experienced divers only. A lot of gear has been lost at this site.
END OF THE ROAD
"Barnacle Bill" shot with Nikonos V, 20mm lens on Ektachrome 100
SHOIBA
NORTH and SOUTH of the DESAL PLANT
Fantastic diving here but walkouts are a bit longer than average (500 metres). Sharks, turtles and a plethora of reef fish, this is a Red Sea Reef Fish book come alive.
QUNFUDAH
THE HARBOUR WRECKS
Where did they come from? Originally investigated by Steve Walker, we hauled out shell cases (Steve nearly blew himself up). Five wooden boats of unknown origin, however rumour has it that they were Italian gunboats escaping from Allied forces during WW II, can anyone confirm this?
FARASAN ISLANDS
After a 900 km drive from Jeddah, overnight in Jizan, and a free ferry ride to the main island, it was a bit disappointing. Most of the coral on the east side of the islands was dead, and poor viz was general. We did have a few shark encounters, and there were a few turtles and mantas around.
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