Saudi Arabia: The Red Sea Project – Development of Giant Tourism Destination Progresses
Under the working title of “The Red Sea Project“, a large-scale new tourism destination is being developed on the west coast of Saudi Arabia. Covering an area of some 28,000 square kilometers, including both sections of the country’s coastline and an archipelago of over 90 islands (22 of which are now being developed for tourism), a total of 50 resorts, together offering 8,000 rooms, and around 1,300 residences for employees are to be built by the planned completion of all developments in 2030. The first four luxury hotels and an associated regional airport are scheduled to open and welcome tourists as early as the end of next year; a further twelve hotels are planned to start operations in 2023.
The development company behind the luxury tourism destination is The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), which is wholly owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The aim of this mega-project is to put Saudi Arabia firmly on the international tourism map. The destination, which in addition to luxury hotels and residential complexes will comprise retail and shopping outlets as well as leisure and entertainment offerings, is to stand out in all aspects of sustainability. For example, in terms of infrastructure many islands will only be accessible by “green“ means of transport, all electricity will be sourced from renewable sources and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is intended to enable an optimized, sustainable operation of all facilities. The protection of the environment and the habitat of the local flora and fauna has top priority in the development and subsequent management of the destination, as TRSDC emphasizes.
The renowned British architectural firm Foster + Partners has recently presented the concept design for Shurayrah Island, which is reminiscent of a dolphin in its shape and is being developed into the archipelago’s “Gateway Island“. Under the title of “Coral Bloom“, the concept foresees all buildings on the island to blend in with the natural environment, i.e. the sea and the mangroves. Eleven hotels will be built on this island, and beach areas and a lagoon will also be created. (eap)
