MapSaudi ArabiaHalf Moon BaySaudi Arabia

Half Moon Bay

Eastern Province · South of Al Khobar, Persian Gulf coast

also known as Half Moon Bay Kite Beach, Halfmoon Bay, Zabnah Kite Lagoon

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

flat waterbeginner-friendlymedium crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov

Months riders and schools name

How windy

11–16 kt

Modelled monthly average; no knot figure publishedCharacter: mixed

See Month by month

Room to launch

big

access rules on record, below

Water

flat

32.4 °C in summerProtected, hyper-saline, clear shallow water over a sandy bottom, with occasional rocks, shells, debris and sand bars

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

medium crowds

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

International Airport (BAH)

no transfer time published

When it fills in

No onset time is published for this spot.

Half Moon Bay has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Khobar Cornicheno page yet
Ras Tanurano page yet
Bahrain kite spotsno page yet

The spot

Half Moon Bay is a shallow protected Saudi bay on the Arabian Gulf coast south of Al Khobar, and it is flat. Sandy bottom with rocks, shells and whatever the picnickers left behind, and the shallows run hundreds of meters out and several kilometers along the shore.

Why it works

That shape is why it works for training: the beach wraps around the bay, so a self rescue puts you on sand rather than out to sea.

Wind and season

The wind is northerly, N, NNE and NNW, with Shamal events that last one to several days and fill the air with blowing sand and dust; a southerly Janoube sometimes arrives ahead of a frontal system. Season guidance conflicts, March-June and September-November on one side, the northwest Shamal of November-March on the other, and no measured statistics exist for the Half Moon Bay Kite Beach station itself.

Parking and vehicles

You park on the beach about 20 feet from where you rig, which is convenient and also means keeping an eye out for vehicles while you sort your lines.

Temperature and community

Summer is punishing: water to 32.4 C and air hotter still, while winter drops the water to 19.2 C and you will want a full wetsuit. There is an active kite community in the Eastern Province, so you will rarely be launching alone.

The wind

locals call it Shamal; Janoube before some frontal systems

Direction

cross-shoreN

Direction to shore

Reportedly good sideshore exposure to north winds inside the bay.

Dominant direction

N, NNE, NNW

Character

mixed

Strength

No knot figure is published for this spot.

Modelled monthly average: 11–16 kt — see Month by month

Northerlies dominate. Shamal events last one to several days and bring blowing sand and dust with them.

March-June and September-November are given as the best months, while elsewhere the northwest Shamal of November-March is the window that gets highlighted. Unresolved.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

Jan56
Feb75
Mar, riders' month73
Apr, riders' month80
May, riders' month95
Jun, riders' month83
Jul87
Aug85
Sep, riders' month78
Oct, riders' month56
Nov, riders' month47
Dec46

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov.

12 ktJan19°
13 ktFeb19°
14 ktMar22°
14 ktApr25°
16 ktMay29°
15 ktJun32°
15 ktJul33°
14 ktAug35°
13 ktSep33°
12 ktOct31°
11 ktNov26°
11 ktDec21°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds.

Every figure, month by monthForce 4+ · Knots · Wind from · Air · Water

Month	Force 4+	Knots	Wind from	Air	Water
Jan	56%	11.7 kt	NW	16.1 °C	18.7 °C
Feb	75%	13.4 kt	NNW	18.1 °C	18.9 °C
Mar	73%	13.9 kt	NNW	22.1 °C	21.5 °C
Apr	80%	13.7 kt	NNW	26.7 °C	24.6 °C
May	95%	15.9 kt	NNW	32.1 °C	28.5 °C
Jun	83%	15.2 kt	NNW	36.1 °C	31.9 °C
Jul	87%	15.4 kt	NNW	37.5 °C	32.9 °C
Aug	85%	13.5 kt	E	36.9 °C	34.5 °C
Sep	78%	13.2 kt	NNW	34.1 °C	33.4 °C
Oct	56%	11.9 kt	NNW	29.6 °C	30.8 °C
Nov	47%	11.2 kt	NW	24.4 °C	26.2 °C
Dec	46%	10.8 kt	NW	18.5 °C	21 °C

How this is modelledmodelled · 2022-2024

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024

The water

Type

flat

Standing depth

The shallows run hundreds of meters out and several kilometers along the protected bay.

Tides

Kiting here is reported as tide independent, though the sand bars show up more at low tide.

Temperature

32.4 °C summer · 19.2 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 19–35 °C

Wetsuit

Shorts in spring and summer, shorty in fall, normal wetsuit in winter.

Conditions

Protected, hyper-saline, clear shallow water over a sandy bottom, with occasional rocks, shells, debris and sand bars.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Ratings vary between any level and intermediate. The enclosed shallow bay is safe ground for training and self rescue.

The scene

What riders come here for

cruisingfreerideflat watertraining

Expat and Saudi kiters, with camper crowds turning up over local holidays.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

3 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: big

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

No neighbour on record

No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.

Rescue

No formal rescue service. The shape of the bay favours self rescue, and there are usually other kiters around to launch and land you.

Launch

Long sandy beach backing onto sabkha salt flats. Vehicles park on the beach within about 20 feet of the rigging and launching area, so there is no walk.

Rules & access

1 min read

2026: no spot-specific rule is confirmed and none are reported, but talk to the locals before you go on the water.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

Talk to the local kiters before you go on the water, since no official 2026 rule notice was found.
Walk the sand before you rig: shells, picnic debris, and vehicles driving to within about 20 feet of the rigging area.
Treat a strong Shamal day as dusty and gusty even when the water looks cleaner than the beach.
Ride at higher water if you want the sand bars covered; they show up at low tide.
Shorts in spring and summer, a shorty in fall, a full wetsuit in winter.

Getting there

Airport

Bahrain International Airport (BAH) is listed about 90 km from the spot. King Fahd International near Dammam is the other regional gateway, though no transfer time is published for it.

Route

Drive to the beach; parking sits close to the rigging area.

Staying

Resorts and city hotels around Half Moon Bay, Al Khobar and Dammam. Nothing specifically kite-friendly.

No-wind days

Half Moon Bay beach recreation · Al Khobar and Dammam dining · Diving and sailing in the bay

FAQ

Is Half Moon Bay suitable for beginners?

Yes, sources describe it as suitable for any level, and the enclosed shallow bay is specifically noted as safe for training and self-rescue.

What is the wind like?

Dominant winds are northerly (N, NNE, NNW) from Shamal events, with occasional southerly Janoube flow before frontal systems.

When is the best time to go?

Sources give March-June and September-November as best months, though the November-March northwest Shamal is also highlighted, so guidance conflicts.

Is there a rescue service?

No formal rescue service is verified; the bay's shape favors self-rescue, and other kiters are usually present to help with launching and landing.

Are there kite schools nearby?

Gulf Kitesurfing Paradise, Kitesurf Khobar and Water Sports Arabia operate near the spot.

Last updated: August 2026