Hi all,
I'm based in Abqaiq and like to explore the coast from Half Moon down to Qatar. Decided to go north this time but just got back after a frustrating weekend looking for a decent place to swim and relax. Seems the whole coast from Jubail to Kuwait is fenced off and belongs to someone or other (the usual suspects - Aramco, the coastguard, or the ubiquitous 'cement factory'). The coastguards and checkpoints are like fascist organisations - opening the car and checking it through. A GPS, pair of binocs, and a camera with a zoom lens really freaked them out: 'Why camera?' Eeeerrrr..., for taking fotos Sherlock. Madness. If it ain't those loons, it's the dodgy road signs like the one posting Jennah Island somewhere after Jubail. Odd - it's uninhabited and there's no way to get there, so what do they do? Signpost it! Curious, I turned off and the road just runs out in the sand after a few KMs!
There are 1 or 2 reasonable places around Khafji but the best place is closed off and only Saudis can access it (Ras al Mudah). Very nice actually. I recommend it for swimming/snorkelling/beachcombing, even though it might involve a midnight stalk across the sands dodging Nissan Patrols looking for... well, looking for what, exactly? The great thing about Friday morning is that they're all asleep, leaving the place open for exploration. And the sea was wonderful early morn - quite rich in life.
I know the Saudis are hypersensitive about borders and the coastline (I've been stopped and searched more times here in 6 months than in 40 years in all the other places I've been put together - and that includes North Korea), but it's all on Google anyway for Pete's sake. No rationale, justification, legal knowledge. Just a braindead 'La.'
I know it's not the Great Barrier Reef up there but some sites say there's a reasonable strip of reef coming close to the shore stretching down from Kuwait to Jubail, especially the offshore islands. Any idea where there's a nice location to relax for a weekend which doesn't involve a James Bond style operation (I know it's a bit hot now, but for future reference)? Or how to get to Jennah Island? Is Ras Abu (forgot its name) north of Jubail accessible or is it predictably Aramco/military? Some say - only half-jokingly - that the Russian energy company Gazprom is the anti-Christ. I'm beginning to think Aramco is...
Rant over. Sorry.
Thx for any tips. Samakhval
The coast from Jubail to Kuwait
Ras Abu-Ali is thr island close to Jubail up north,,but it is a restricted zone.
I would love to go to Jana .I tried once but it all failed (my trip ended as you said in the sand )..Perhaps I need a guide !
Hello samakhval and welcome to Expat.com!
Thank you for this sharing.
I hope that other members will be able to give you some tips.
PS: Welcome to Expat.com too Alpha-Centauri. 
Good luck,
Harmonie.
Thx for the replies. Looks like the coast north of Dammam is sown up between industry/military/bolshevik coastguard, save for perhaps a few access points (no doubt next to some chemical plant or other....). Understandable, I guess, given its strategic location and access to the oil fields.
Alpha-Centauri, it IS possible to get to Jenna Island. There are even Youtube vids showing day trips there. A guy on Fanateer Beach runs trips there. Apparently, he needs 12 people to fill his boat. And the dive shops in Jubail will surely know. Might be worth looking into. Count me and a couple of friends in if you can rustle up a few more. Getting hot now though? Cheers.
@samakhval: well if you are doing something please do drop a line sometime.. I ll be glad to join myself! 
I would be definately be interested in some exploring, I would love to go out on the boat if I can take of the abaiya and go swimming, if not then no point! My husband goes diving during the summer, will ask him to ask the guys who run that boat too.
Let's not mix things up..There are two islands very close in their pronunciations of Jana.One is Jenna , the other is Jana ( I am not sure which is which..lol). One is 40 km east of Jubail coast , good for snorkeling and diving fans .There are reefs , and birds come to
this is the one I mean:
wannadive.net/spot/Middle_East/Saudi_Arabia/Eastern_Province/Jana_Island_-_Twin_wall/index
I'm going to Fanateer Beach on Thursday to investigate boats, etc. PM me if you fancy it.
You're right AC - sussed it last wkend.
The one just offshore is actually more difficult to get to (in terms of permission or dodging the coastguards) than the one some 40 KMs offshore. I met a diver in a dive shop on Fanateer who claimed this one is a beautiful place and great for diving/snorkelling.
The one further away ain't too difficult to get to; there's a guy running boats out there for diving (or just swimming/snorkelling) for 250-350 SR pp. I've spoken with him and hopefully we'll be going this wkend, either Thurs or Fri.
Cheers!
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