Permanent Exhibition & Gate of Gates
Red Sea Museum, Jeddah

Between late 2023 and 2025, the Red Sea shipping crisis lit up international news headlines as Yemen’s Houthi forces targeted Israeli-linked vessels in solidarity with besieged Palestinians, causing freight and insurance costs to spike. Although the Red Sea is relatively small, this ancient rift valley is a critical geopolitical hotspot bordered by Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen—states of rich and varied civilizations navigating various degrees of political and economic risks. It is also connected to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, which handles 30 percent of global container traffic. Jeddah’s new Red Sea Museum, located in the repurposed Bab al-Bunt customs house, is a welcome institution with unprecedented potential to enhance public understanding and appreciation of the region.