The University established in 2009 is located on the coast just over 100km north of Jeddah. The Grand Mosque is an elegant balance of traditional arabic architecture and modern design.

The golf course has a large water reservoir with surrounding Casuarina pines tucked away in a far corner. The trees hold large numbers of cormorants, egrets, herons and glossy ibis; many appear to be nesting. Caspian and gull-billed terns float up and down, dipping down to drink the freshwater and common sandpipers flick along the water’s edge. A solitary teal dashes off on approach; many species here are hunted. At dusk, squadrons of cormorants head in from the coast to swing round and come down into land in an untidy free for all. The Red Sea coast itself is rich in mangroves and mudflats with a variety of waders including Terek sandpipers and crab plovers.