Significant progress has been made on phase one of The Red Sea Destination according to developer Red Sea Global (RSG). Releasing a comprehensive update on construction progress, the firm said that this month marks six years since project was first announced by His Royal Highness the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman as an international tourist destination as part of the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision.
Now, with The Red Sea’s first three hotels and phase one of the international airport on track to open later this year, its latest construction update reveals the remarkable progress achieved across the destination, including at a further 13 hotels and on the supporting infrastructure, the firm said in a statement.
“We stand at the brink of an extraordinary moment as we prepare to unveil The Red Sea destination to the world. In six years, we have made exceptional progress, creating exquisite resorts and best-in-class, sustainable infrastructure in a remote location, demonstrating innovation in line with our regenerative approach and commitment to responsible development,” said John Pagano, Group CEO at Red Sea Global.
He added, “While the anticipation builds for the opening of our first hotels and the initial phase of our solar powered airport, we are busy working on the rest of phase one. We are ready to deliver countless more extraordinary moments on our journey to positioning Saudi Arabia proudly on the world stage as a must-visit destination.”
Sharing an update on resort construction, RSG said that Desert Rock – a unique mountain resort being built into the rockface – is more than 50% complete overall. The developer notes it has fully excavated and formed the 10 rooms integrated into the mountainside, as well as all 195m of tunnelling. Major structural and infrastructure works are well advanced, including the construction of the wadi villas, guest hubs, back of house, and other structures, the developer added.
Work is ongoing on all 11 resorts and infrastructure across Shura Island. Over 100 construction contracts are in place, with a similar number out in the market for tender. RSG continues to maximise use of off-site manufacturing with precast structures progressing rapidly, bathroom pod deliveries underway, and the prefabricated timber structure on the Golf Clubhouse nearing completion. The developer is moving onto beach formation and beautification works which includes the creation of new mangrove habitats in the coming months, the statement explained.
Highlighting progress on Sheybarah Island, RSG pointed out it has installed all 38 stainless steel overwater villas. While the first overwater villa took nine hours to install, the developer perfected this process, so that it now requires less than two hours. The first beach villas have arrived at the island, one of which has successfully been installed. The developer is also making substantial progress on other front and back of house structures and infrastructure, including foundation work on the spa and two specialized restaurants, it stated.
Discussing infrastructure, RSG said that the Start-Up Distribution Centre and Start-Up Transportation Hub are being completed to provide operational logistic facilities ahead of the opening of the first hotels. Already, more than 150 trucks of materials and 2,000 people are transported to the various offshore projects each day. The Red Sea International Airport is progressing as planned and is on track to start receiving its first domestic flights later this year, the firm remarked.
Last week, RSG fully installed more than 760,000 photovoltaic panels, needed to power phase one of The Red Sea. One of its five solar farms is located near Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, which will be the first hotel to open at The Red Sea in the coming months. The utilities at the resort are already being powered by the solar farm. There are now more than 25,000 personnel working at the destination, delivering at pace across The Red Sea, it added.
Upon full completion in 2030, the destination will comprise 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. The destination will also include luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment, F&B, and leisure facilities, the statement concluded.
