Saudi’s Desert Rock & Nujuma Earn World's First DarkSky Certification

Saudi Arabia’s Desert Rock and Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, have become the first resorts in the world to earn the new DarkSky Approved Resort certification, recognising their efforts to preserve natural night skies through responsible outdoor lighting.

Set between the mountains and desert landscapes of The Red Sea destination, Desert Rock is built into the dramatic terrain of Saudi Arabia’s western desert, while Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, sits among the islands of the Red Sea, where untouched shores and marine ecosystems define the experience. Both resorts have made darkness part of the destination, protecting the night sky as carefully as the landscapes around them.

It was precisely the scale and setting of resorts like these that led to the creation of the new certification. Developed by Red Sea Global in collaboration with DarkSky International, the DarkSky Approved Resort programme establishes the world’s first standards specifically designed for larger hospitality destinations, where lighting needs are more complex than traditional hotels. By reducing unnecessary artificial light, the programme helps preserve natural ecosystems, particularly for nocturnal and light-sensitive species such as sea turtle hatchlings, which rely on natural night-time cues to find their way towards the ocean. It also creates ideal conditions for stargazing, opening the door to more immersive astrotourism experiences for travellers.

For travellers, the result is a different kind of luxury after sunset: darker skies, clearer views of the stars and a deeper connection with the landscapes surrounding them. As interest in astrotourism continues to grow, the new certification offers a way to identify destinations where the night sky is treated as part of the experience, not something to illuminate away.