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NEOM / Sharma
Tabuk Province · NEOM · Sharma / Ash Sharmah
also known as Sharma Beach, NEOM Bay, Almojawah Bay, Gayal Beach
Riding essentials
Season
no season named
Months riders and schools name
How windy
10-16 kt
Character: mixed
Room to launch
room to launch not rated
access rules on record, below
Water
lagoon
27 °C in summerThe 2022 event water was a lagoon with ideal, very flat freestyle takeoffs and landings
Hazards
8
Reported by riders
Level
Intermediate to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
low crowds · busy October
Schools
1
named at this spot
From the airport
30 min
When it fills in
Morning, during the October 2022 GKA event: briefings were scheduled early to use the better morning wind.
NEOM / Sharma has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it, and none other in NEOM. straight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Yanbu
- Gayal Beachalso a name for this spot
- Sharma Beachalso a name for this spot
- Alkhuraybahno page yet
- Magnano page yet
- Tala Bay, Aqaba, Jordanno page yet
The spot
Event conditions
Coast and hazards
Access and unknowns
The wind
locals call it Red Sea northerly
Direction
Dominant direction
NNW/NW regionally on the northern Red Sea. The exact beach direction at Almojawah Bay is unconfirmed.
Character
Typical strength
No Sharma-specific seasonal statistics exist. Regional Red Sea wind figures run roughly 5-8 m/s, about 10-16 kt, while the 2022 GKA event saw stronger morning winds on some competition days.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan21
- Feb25
- Mar37
- Apr43
- May48
- Jun47
- Jul23
- Aug37
- Sep42
- Oct23
- Nov25
- Dec21
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
- 21%Jan24°
- 25%Feb23°
- 37%Mar23°
- 43%Apr24°
- 48%May26°
- 47%Jun27°
- 23%Jul29°
- 37%Aug29°
- 42%Sep29°
- 23%Oct28°
- 25%Nov27°
- 21%Dec25°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21% | 69% | 44% | 11.8 kt | W | 15:00 | 19.4 °C | 23.9 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 25% | 74% | 61% | 12.8 kt | W | 16:00 | 20 °C | 22.8 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 37% | 66% | 56% | 12.9 kt | W | 14:00 | 22.8 °C | 22.8 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 43% | 73% | 63% | 13.5 kt | W | 14:00 | 26.1 °C | 23.9 °C | 60 |
| May | 48% | 76% | 71% | 14.1 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 28.9 °C | 25.6 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 47% | 63% | 57% | 12.6 kt | W | 15:00 | 31.1 °C | 27.2 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 23% | 63% | 32% | 12 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 32.2 °C | 28.9 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 37% | 68% | 53% | 13.1 kt | W | 15:00 | 32.2 °C | 29.4 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 42% | 67% | 55% | 12.6 kt | W | 15:00 | 31.1 °C | 28.9 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 23% | 55% | 39% | 11.5 kt | W | 14:00 | 28.3 °C | 27.8 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 25% | 55% | 40% | 11.7 kt | W | 15:00 | 24.4 °C | 26.7 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 21% | 60% | 39% | 11.4 kt | ENE | 09:00 | 21.1 °C | 25 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. 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.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
lagoon
Standing depth
Gayal Beach is described locally as shallow sand beaches and quiet lagoons, but no measured depth exists for the 2022 GKA competition area at Almojawah Bay.
Tides
Semi-diurnal at Sharma. A 27 August 2026 table listed lows at -0.6 m and 0.2 m and highs at 1.0 m, against historical extremes of 1.7 m high and -1.1 m low.
Temperature
27 °C summer
Modelled monthly average: 23–29 °C
Currents
No Sharma-specific current data is published. Treat tidal flow and reef or lagoon cuts as unknown local hazards until you have looked at them on site.
Conditions
Your level
beginner: not rated
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
1 school names this spot
On your own
Room to launch is not rated
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Launch
Specially constructed facilities went up at a flat-water NEOM kite spot for the 2022 GKA Freestyle-Kite World Cup. For everyday riders there is no permanent public launch layout, beach width, parking, rigging zone or rescue service on record.
Rules & access
1 min read
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
- Confirm NEOM access before you book flights; the event beach is not automatically open to public kiting.
- Wear booties and do not assume you can stand on sand, because coral habitat is documented along this coast.
- Check the Sharma tide height before you rig; the swing there is enough to uncover shallow lagoon sections.
- Rig early if the day looks like the 2022 pattern, when the mornings carried the better wind.
- Bring your own safety kit and ride with a buddy unless an operator rescue service is confirmed for that day.
Getting there
Airport
NEOM Bay Airport (NUM/OENN) at Sharma/NEOM Bay; Tabuk Regional Airport is the broader regional backup.
Route
NUM, NEOM Bay Airport, links NEOM with Saudi destinations and international hubs. Hampton by Hilton Sharma NEOM Community 1 sits 30 minutes from the airport, with Tabuk city inside two hours. Tabuk to Sharma by car is about 180 km, roughly two hours on the highway.
Transfer
30 min
Cost level
high
Staying
Nearby beds are Hampton by Hilton Sharma NEOM Community 1 and Royal Lazure Resort. Royal Lazure showed from US$164 nightly for September 2026 dates and Hampton from US$226 for the same 2026 dates, subject to availability.
No-wind days
Snorkeling and beach time around Sharma Bay, careful Red Sea coral viewing, the Gayal Beach coast, a Wadi Disah day trip inland from the Sharma/NEOM coast, and NEOM Beach Games as a spectator when the calendar has one.
Photos
FAQ
Is NEOM / Sharma suitable for beginners?
Beginner suitability is unverified; the only well-documented use is a professional GKA freestyle event, so advanced freestyle suitability is confirmed while everyday public access is not.
What is the wind like?
Regional Red Sea data suggests roughly 10-16 knots typically, though mornings during the 2022 GKA event brought stronger, more consistent wind.
What are the main hazards?
Shallow coral reef sections along the coast, and a tidal range that can materially change lagoon depth and expose shallow sections.
How do you get there?
NEOM Bay Airport (NUM) serves Sharma, about 30 minutes from nearby hotels such as Hampton by Hilton and Royal Lazure Resort.
The bigger pictureEverything about NEOM
Last updated: August 2026