The coastal limits of Arabia comprise : on the southwest the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba ; on the southeast the Arabian Sea ; and on the northeast the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf . The seas off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula are ( clockwise ) : on the west the Red Sea and ( angled northeast from it on the west ) the Gulf of Aqaba ; north of the Gulf of Aqaba along the faultline of the Red Sea Rift and the Dead Sea Transform ( on the west northwest ) the Mediterranean Sea ; ( crossing eastward over the Syrian Desert ) on the northeast of the Persian Gulf and ( south of it on the east ) the Strait of Hormuz and ( south of it on the east ) the Gulf of Oman ; on the south ( southeast ) the Arabian Sea ( part of the Indian Ocean ) and ( west of the Arabian Sea on the south ) the Gulf of Aden ( between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa ) ; and on the southwest corner of the peninsula ( north of the Gulf of Aden ) the Bab-el-Mandeb strait , opening from the Gulf of Aden north again to the Red Sea .