Saudi Arabia’s Thuwal: Private Island Resort in the Red Sea

Thuwal resort offers absolute privacy and simple luxury (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Thuwal resort offers absolute privacy and simple luxury (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia’s Thuwal: Private Island Resort in the Red Sea

Thuwal resort offers absolute privacy and simple luxury (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Thuwal resort offers absolute privacy and simple luxury (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Thuwal Private Resort has officially opened as the first island of its kind in Saudi Arabia, located off the coast of Jeddah. The resort offers a unique experience of complete privacy and luxury, perfect for escaping the everyday hustle.

The resort is set on a beautiful island in the Red Sea, accessible by a 40-minute private yacht ride from the KAUST marina, north of Jeddah.

The resort allows guests to book the entire island for total privacy and comfort, with only one group staying at a time. Whether for a peaceful family retreat, a luxurious celebration with friends, or an exclusive escape with loved ones, the resort offers a perfect setting. It accommodates up to 12 adults and 3 children.

The main villa includes three spacious bedrooms, a large living room, a fully equipped kitchen, and a 395-square-meter garden with a private pool and sunbathing terrace.

The three beachfront suites offer more privacy, each with a bedroom, outdoor terrace, private pool, and beautiful decor that blends with the natural surroundings.

The resort’s dining experience is overseen by a team of top chefs who use fresh, local ingredients to craft menus that cater to all tastes and satisfy every culinary preference. The offerings include Mediterranean-inspired seafood dishes and healthy meal options.

Moreover, the resort offers a variety of activities for all ages and interests. Adventure seekers can enjoy paddleboarding, kayaking, snorkeling, and diving to explore coral reefs and shipwrecks, with professional instructors and equipment for beginners.

For relaxation, the spa provides soothing massages and wellness treatments.

Guests can also enjoy beach soccer, volleyball, island walks, or unwind in the library, which has books and games.

The resort features an outdoor cinema where guests can watch movies under the stars, with snacks and refreshing drinks adding to the experience.

Additionally, the resort offers cultural programs inspired by Saudi heritage, including folk music, traditional performances, and crafts, enriching the overall stay.



Facing Egg Shortage, Americans Bring Chickens Home to Roost

Hens for sale roam in their cage at Wabash Feed & Garden store in Houston, Texas, on February 10, 2025. AFP
Hens for sale roam in their cage at Wabash Feed & Garden store in Houston, Texas, on February 10, 2025. AFP
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Facing Egg Shortage, Americans Bring Chickens Home to Roost

Hens for sale roam in their cage at Wabash Feed & Garden store in Houston, Texas, on February 10, 2025. AFP
Hens for sale roam in their cage at Wabash Feed & Garden store in Houston, Texas, on February 10, 2025. AFP

A Houston poultry supply company is selling chickens like there is no tomorrow, as sky-high prices for eggs prompt some Americans to produce their own at home.

A recent US outbreak of bird flu since early 2024 is exacting a heavy toll on poultry farms. More than 21 million egg-laying hens have been "depopulated" this year so far, after 13.2 million were culled in December, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Eggs, as a result, are a precious commodity these days.

John Berry, who manages a livestock company in Houston, reported a dramatic increase in demand for chickens as consumers grapple with the egg shortage.

"Our sales for poultry have doubled or maybe potentially tripled. I mean we're selling 100 chickens a week or more," Berry told AFP.

In times of egg abundance it would take two or three weeks to sell that many birds, he said.

A dozen premium eggs can now cost an eye-popping $10 in some US supermarkets, with even lower-grade ones now drawing twice their usual price of what is normally between two and three dollars.

The popular grocery store chain Trader Joe's is limiting purchases to one dozen eggs of any kind per household per day, and Costco is also limiting purchases.

Waffle House restaurants have slapped a 50-cent surcharge on each egg in a dish to compensate for higher costs.

Last week in Seattle, a restaurant was robbed of 500 eggs from its storeroom in the middle of the night.

- ' I have a large family' -

Berry said most of his chicken buyers are new to the world of egg production.

Such is the case of Arturo Becerra, who recently bought 10 hens for $400, with another $20 for a month's worth of feed.

On Monday, he bought five more hens, and plans to get another 10, "because I have a large family." His hens are still young and need a few more weeks to start laying eggs.

Some cities and towns in Texas allow people to raise chickens at home if they follow certain health norms.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say the risk to the general public from avian flu remains "low," but has released safety guidelines for owners of backyard bird flocks.

The CDC also says that "people with job-related or recreational exposures to birds or other H5 virus-infected animals, are at greater risk of infection."

That has not appeared to deter Becerra.

"Now I have some place to put them, and besides, eggs are very expensive," said Becerra, a 57-year-old man who was born in Mexico. "I think it will be cheaper to buy hens and raise them."

Billy Underhill, the 62-year-old owner of a construction company and longtime chicken raiser, has bought two more of the clucking creatures.

"I just heard someone yesterday say that eggs were, like, 10 dollars a dozen," he said.

"I was already planning on buying a couple more chickens. I buy a couple every couple months because some of them die. Eventually they die and they stop laying so I'm going to keep the flow of eggs going in my family," he said.

Berry said there are no chickens to replace the millions that had to be killed because of avian influenza.

"You have to have had anticipated this and raised a thousand extra chickens or a million extra chickens," said Berry.

In the United States, the disease is affecting not just poultry farms but also dairy cows.

There have been 68 cases among people since early last year, with one of them fatal. Most of them were among people coming into contact with infected animals, according to the CDC.

The man who died was infected "after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds," health authorities said.

Berry said there is a generation of chickens growing and waiting to replace the ones who were destroyed. But it will take time, and as eggs store well, he recommends that people stock up.

"It'll be a couple of months, I would guess at the soonest. Seems like it's two or three months or more before things kind of get right."