Saudi Arabia | A bewildering scene..What is the truth about the wreckage of an old plane on this beach in Saudi Arabia?

Arab Weather - Sinan Khalaf - The scene of the wreck of this ancient amphibious plane near the seashore in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia looks like it is emerging from a movie, so what is the story of this plane?

The wreckage of the amphibious plane, known as "Catalina", lies in Ras Sheikh Hamid, Tabuk, in northern Saudi Arabia, according to the Saudi Ministry of Tourism website.

British travel blogger Sheila Anthony tells CNN in Arabic that she saw the wreckage of the amphibious plane for the first time through footage that was circulated on social media before her visit to the region, which prompted her to research the plane's past and discover its secrets.

Anthony, who visited the site twice, in October last year and February this year, explains that the effects of time have left their mark on the wreckage of the amphibious plane.

In the footage documented by Anthony's lens, the main body appears sloping on the sand of the beach, while the tail section is completely separate, and is currently located tens of meters from the fuselage.

Although the scene may seem depressing, it adds to the history of the wreck site, which is 60 years old, Anthony believes.

And Anthony notes that there are still small parts that remind us of how wonderful the exterior of the plane was in the past, as some parts of the airframe retained their turquoise paint.

As for the area around the wreckage of the amphibious plane, Anthony describes it, saying, "When you walk to the open area where the wreckage of the amphibious plane lies, the first thing that welcomes you is the wind and the scenic view across the Gulf of Aqaba to the Sinai Mountains in Egypt."

Anthony adds that the "stunning" blue waters surround the "Catalina" wreck on every side, as if it were a frame.

It takes two minutes to reach the actual wreckage of the amphibious plane, which is enough to capture the beauty of the site, according to the British Travel Blog.

Old photos of the plane, which can be found online, show that it was once an advanced flying ship used to tour the world, according to Anthony.

As for the fate of this amphibious plane, which ended up on the beach of Ras Sheikh Hamid in the Tabuk region, according to what was mentioned on the Saudi Ministry of Tourism website, there are those who consider that the plane was expelled by the sea after it was swallowed up elsewhere, and others say that it came infiltrating during the war Second World.

Anthony, who lives in Saudi Arabia, explains that among the stories circulating about the amphibious plane, she is interested in a novel dating back to the year 1960, about the American businessman, Thomas Kendall, who was touring the world with his family on a US military amphibious plane that he turned into a yacht a bird.

"How exciting it was to travel this way 60 years ago," says Anthony.

This novel is the most famous of the stories reported by the American "Life Time" magazine, which is that the amphibious plane belongs to a wealthy American who was on a tour around the world with his family, before it stopped at its current location due to an engine failure.

According to what was reported by the magazine as mentioned on the Saudi Ministry of Tourism website, the amphibious plane called "Catalina", "is one of the aircraft of the US Army Engineering Corps, and after its retirement from service, it was bought by American businessman Thomas Kendall, who converted it into a luxury yacht, and made a trip A tourist around the world with his wife and children, and he was accompanied by a photographer to cover the trip, which included several countries, including the Middle East.

And the site of the wreck of the "Catalina" plane has become a tourist destination for visitors to the Tabuk region, who go to the beach to see this plane and take pictures with it.

After the plane imposed itself and became the focus of visitors' attention, the amphibious wreckage site "Katlina" was approved as one of the tourist routes in the Tabuk region, according to the official website for Saudi tourism, "The Spirit of Saudi Arabia."