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The Georgios G is a cargo ship built in the United Kingdom. Arab News gives 1949 as the year it was built, 71.6 metres long and 11 metres wide.
In 1978, it was sailing from a Greek port to Aqaba, in Jordan, with a cargo of foodstuffs. It struck a coral reef in Saudi waters, near Biʾr al-Mashi beach, about 45 to 55 km south of Haql, depending on the source.
According to Saudi Gazette and Arab News, a spark when the engine was restarted set fire to the cargo of flour, which burned for several days. The ship was never refloated. Its hull, partly above the water, has stayed on the reef. It has become a well-known landmark on the coast.
What is certain and what is not
- Certain: ran aground on a reef in 1978, south of Haql (Arab News). The distance varies by source, from about 45 to 55 km.
- Uncertain: the year it was built (1949 according to Arab News; other sources give 1958) and the ship's former name.
- Uncertain: the exact nature of the cargo (flour or various foodstuffs).
- To check on site: rules for swimming and diving near the wreck, access to the beach.
- Practical: access reported blocked by works in 2026; to be checked.
- Arab News, “ThePlace: 43-year-old shipwreck off Tabuk now a Saudi tourist attraction” (December 2021): https://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/theplace-43-year-old-shipwreck-off-tabuk-now-a-saudi-tourist-attraction-1993386
- Saudi Gazette, “The story behind Saudi Titanic” (supplementary): https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/171425