Saudi Arabia
18 listed locations; 7 linked to reference tide models.
Open the fishing planner for Saudi Arabia ←Saudi Arabia: separate Gulf and Red Sea plans
Do not use a Dammam table to decide a Jeddah trip. Choose the coast and location, then identify the bottom and a suitable method. A beginner needs to know how to present bait without persistent snagging or damaging reef habitat.
Use the season chart to shortlist targets and the rigs guide to select an arrangement. For boats, agree the route and return window with the skipper before choosing a jig weight. Check current permissions with the relevant authority.
Choose the actual location in Saudi Arabia
This guide lists 18 locations in Saudi Arabia, including Khafji, Jubail – Fanateer, Qatif – Tarout & Darin. Open the location you intend to visit, select shore or boat, and compare the same trip window. Area names and coordinates are planning references; check access and bottom type before preparing tackle.
7 locations connect to 6 reference-station model(s); some may share a source with timing and height adjustments. The location count does not imply a separate gauge or validated model for every mark. Locations without tide models use available information; a missing model does not mean no tide.
Data sources and methodology →Fishing spots in Saudi Arabia
| Place | Type | Bottom | Fish | Shore faces | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khafji | Shore | Sand and rock | Sobaity, bream, hamour, grunter | East | Tool |
| Jubail – Fanateer | Shore & boat | Corniche, breakwaters, nearby reefs | Hamour, emperor, kingfish, queenfish | Northeast | Tool |
| Qatif – Tarout & Darin | Shore & boat | Shallow flats, seagrass, mangroves | Rabbitfish, bream, hamour, grunter | East | Tool |
| Dammam Corniche | Shore | Breakwaters and rock | Bream, rabbitfish, grunter, queenfish | East | Tool |
| Al Khobar Corniche | Shore | Breakwaters and rock | Bream, rabbitfish, small hamour, queenfish | East | Tool |
| Half Moon Bay | Shore | Shallow sand | Grunter, rabbitfish, queenfish | Northeast | Tool |
| Al Uqair | Shore & boat | Sand and islets | Hamour, emperor, queenfish, rabbitfish | East | Tool |
| Haql | Shore & boat | Gulf of Aqaba reefs, deep water close in | Coral trout, parrotfish, barracuda, trevally | West | Tool |
| Duba | Shore & boat | Coral reefs | Coral trout, grouper, emperor, kingfish | Southwest | Tool |
| Al Wajh | Shore & boat | Reefs and islands | Coral trout, parrotfish, trevally, barracuda | West | Tool |
| Umluj | Shore & boat | Islands and reefs | Coral trout, emperor, kingfish, trevally | West | Tool |
| Yanbu | Shore & boat | Reefs and corniche | Grouper, coral trout, barracuda, kingfish | West | Tool |
| Rabigh | Shore & boat | Reefs and lagoons | Emperor, grouper, trevally | West | Tool |
| Jeddah – Obhur & Corniche | Shore & boat | Near-shore reefs, Obhur creek | Coral trout, parrotfish, emperor, barracuda, kingfish | West | Tool |
| Al Lith | Shore & boat | Reefs and islands | Grouper, coral trout, trevally | West | Tool |
| Al Qunfudhah | Shore & boat | Reefs and sand | Grouper, emperor, barracuda | West | Tool |
| Jazan | Shore & boat | Shallow sand and reefs | Kingfish, tuna, grouper, barracuda | West | Tool |
| Farasan Islands | Boat | Coral reefs, protected area | Coral trout, grouper, trevally, kingfish | — | Tool |
Map points are approximate area references, not access permissions or navigation positions. Assess wind, gusts, wave height, period and shoreline exposure together.
Seas of Saudi Arabia
Arabian Gulf: Creeks, channels and open coasts exchange water differently. Use the relevant location and reference station; tide height alone does not measure current speed. A springs-for-shore and neaps-for-boats preference is not a universal trip rule.
Red Sea: Gulfs, straits and open coasts are not interchangeable. Check the specific location and permitted access, and read available tide and wave information without assigning one range to the whole sea.
Fishing spots map
🟦 shore · 🟧 boat. Tap any point for details, and open it in Google Maps or Google Earth.
The map loads as you approach it. You can also open the location list.
Show locations as a list
Popular fish in Saudi Arabia
Targeting times below are general guidance that varies with location, season and conditions, not measured fish activity.
Dawn, dusk and around slack tidePhoto credit
Early morning with birds and bait activityPhoto credit
Dawn to high tide, and duskPhoto credit
Dawn and duskPhoto credit
Daytime only (sunrise to afternoon); absent at nightPhoto credit
Night, dusk and murky waterPhoto credit
Dusk and early nightPhoto credit
Early morning and afternoonPhoto credit
Early morning and duskPhoto credit
Morning with moving waterPhoto credit
Dawn, strong current at headlandsPhoto credit
Early morning with dolphins and birdsPhoto credit
Fish seasons
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Bait |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamour (grouper) Epinephelus coioides | Live mullet or sardine, whole cuttlefish, large prawn, fish strips | ||||||||||||
| Kingfish (kanaad) Scomberomorus commerson | Live mullet or sardine, no weight | ||||||||||||
| Sobaity seabream Sparidentex hasta | Live mullet or half-mullet, sardine, live shrimp | ||||||||||||
| Yellowfin seabream Acanthopagrus latus | Peeled shrimp, small crab, clams, worms | ||||||||||||
| Rabbitfish (batata / safi) Siganus rivulatus, S. luridus, S. canaliculatus | Firm dough (bread or flour), shrimp, green algae | ||||||||||||
| Tigertooth croaker Otolithes ruber | Prawn, sardine, cuttlefish strips | ||||||||||||
| Javelin grunter Pomadasys kaakan | Prawn, crab, cuttlefish | ||||||||||||
| Spangled emperor Lethrinus nebulosus | Cuttlefish, prawn, crab | ||||||||||||
| Queenfish Scomberoides commersonnianus | Live mullet or sardine | ||||||||||||
| Trevally Carangoides spp. | Live sardine, strips | ||||||||||||
| Giant trevally (GT) Caranx ignobilis | Large live bait | ||||||||||||
| Yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares | Live sardine, squid | ||||||||||||
| Longtail tuna Thunnus tonggol | Live sardine | ||||||||||||
| Coral trout (najil) Plectropomus spp. | Live fish, squid | ||||||||||||
| Red snapper Lutjanus malabaricus / L. bohar | Cuttlefish, fish strips | ||||||||||||
| Cobia Rachycentron canadum | Live fish, whole cuttlefish | ||||||||||||
| Barracuda Sphyraena spp. | Live fish | ||||||||||||
| Mullet (bait fish) Planiliza klunzingeri | Dough, bread | ||||||||||||
| Silver pomfret Pampus argenteus | Small shrimp | ||||||||||||
| Cuttlefish Sepia spp. | — | ||||||||||||
| Parrotfish (hareed) Scarus spp. | Crab, prawn, snails | ||||||||||||
| Flathead mullet Mugil cephalus | Bread paste, bread | ||||||||||||
| Greater amberjack Seriola dumerili | Live fish |
Darker = peak season. Seasons are approximate and vary year to year.
Laws & safety
Check current access, gear, species and licence restrictions with the authority responsible for the exact area and activity. A map marker or a seasonal colour is not a permit.
Match safety equipment and the trip decision to the actual boat, load, route and skipper’s assessment. No single wind or wave number is a safe limit for every boat.
How to use the tables on this page
Species and seasonal tables are indicative planning aids, not a catch survey or a current legal calendar. Start with a reachable target and check the method in the linked guide.
Read the practical guide · Data sources and calculation limits