Saudi Master – Liveaboard in Saudi Arabia

The yacht that introduced many divers to Saudi Arabia's Red Sea as Almonda now sails as Saudi Master. The hull, cabins, and reefs remain the same. Only the stern name has changed.

A New Name, the Same Liveaboard

Divers who searched for the Almonda in recent seasons will now find her listed as Saudi Master. The rename reflects the vessel's home waters, not any change in how she operates. She is the same steel motor yacht, built in 2017, with the same 12-stateroom layout and the same focus on the Kingdom's remote offshore reefs. Past guests who logged dives aboard the Almonda will recognize every deck.

Life on Board 

The Saudi Master measures 40 meters (131 feet) long with a beam of 8.6 meters (28 feet) and carries up to 24 guests across 12 independently air-conditioned staterooms. The layout comprises two master suites and two double cabins, each with a queen bed, plus eight deluxe cabins with twin beds. Every cabin has a private en-suite bathroom and shower, a porthole, a hair dryer, and a 32-inch screen loaded with films and documentaries for the hours between dives.

On the main deck, a large restaurant and bar serve three buffet meals a day. Above, an air-conditioned salon with a 50-inch screen hosts evening briefings and fish identification talks, with a small library and ID books on hand. Two partially shaded sundecks spread out with sofas, sun loungers, and a hot tub, and a stand-up paddleboard waits at anchor for calm afternoons. The boat provides WiFi, towels, toiletries, and laundry service.

Diving from the Saudi Master

The dive deck is built around space. Each diver has an individual equipment box, and the stern platform leaves room to kit up without crowding. Nitrox 32% is available for certified divers, and we can arrange an on-board Nitrox course for those who aren't. Two Zodiacs carry groups to sites beyond the yacht's anchorage, which matters on reefs where the best walls rise from open water kilometers from any sheltered mooring.

Where She Sails

Farasan Banks

Departing from Al Lith, roughly 210 kilometers south of Jeddah, the Farasan Banks itineraries head into a scattered archipelago of islets, atolls and isolated reefs that sees only a handful of boats each year. Routes typically take in the islands of Dohra, Jadir and Malathu, the horseshoe reef of Sha'ab Ammar and the atolls further south. Fringing reefs give way to plateaus at 30 to 40 meters before dropping into the blue, where hammerheads, silky sharks and grey reef sharks patrol the edges. In spring, whale sharks have been recorded feeding close to Al Lith itself.

The Seven Sisters and Five Corals

From Yanbu, further north, Saudi Master sails west to the Seven Sisters, a chain of reef pinnacles marked by navigation beacons. To the south lie Mansi, a reef column hung with gorgonian fans, and the atoll of Sha'ab Suflani, whose walls fall away beyond 300 meters. Other routes combine the Seven Sisters with the reefs off Umluj. These walls and pinnacles face currents and suit divers with Advanced certification and solid experience.

Saudi Arabia's Red Sea

For decades, the eastern shore of the Red Sea remained closed to most visiting divers, and its reefs developed largely free of the boat traffic that shapes dive sites across the water in Egypt. Hard and soft corals grow dense on the outer walls. Oceanic species, from silvertips to manta rays, move through on the currents, and turtles, eagle rays, tuna, and barracuda are regular company. A trip aboard Saudi Master lets you see these reefs as if they were still newly charted.

Plan Your Trip

Saudi Master generally operates the Farasan Banks in the first half of the year before repositioning north to the Yanbu reefs, so the itinerary depends on your travel dates. Airport transfers are included. To compare departures and check availability, visit the Saudi Master boat page or explore all liveaboards in Saudi Arabia.