The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind ultra-luxury Saudi tourism destination Amaala, has now signed over 300 contracts worth more than SAR 6.62 bn (US$1.7bn, €1.7bn £1.5bn).

Underpinned by sustainability, Amaala is being designed for ultra-high net worth individuals and will centre on wellness and sports, arts and culture and sea, sun and lifestyle.

Spanning 4,155sq m of the Saudi Arabian coastline, Amaala will be spread across three locations (Triple Bay, The Island and The Coastal Development) and will have 3,000 hotel rooms, 25 hotels and 900 residential villas, apartments and estate homes.

These will be complemented by retail, fine dining, wellness and recreation facilities.

To support the development of the wellness component, TRSDC advisory board announced the appointment of industry figure and founder of Espa Sue Harmsworth earlier this year.

The advisory board is composed of regional and international leaders in business, tourism, environmental sustainability and conservation and they lend their expertise to both Amaala and its sister project, The Red Sea.

Stay tuned for the Q4 issue of Spa Business for an exclusive interview with Aradhana Khowala, chair of the TRSDC advisory board and a strategy specialist in travel and hospitality, diversity, inclusion and women’s health.

Work is well underway on-site to progress the enabling infrastructure and groundwork required to develop Amaala, with more than 2,400 staff already on site and 9.9 million man-hours logged to date.

The first phase of the project is focused on realising the destination’s main hub, Triple Bay. Upwards of 1,200 hotel keys are set for completion in 2024.

The destination will introduce guests to holistic wellbeing, including spa experiences, professional consultations, personalised health programmes and a year-round events calendar.

The Red Sea

TRSDC is also responsible for the development of The Red Sea – another ambitious sustainable tourism project which will cover the size of Belgium once complete.

Already partnered with a line-up of 10 major international hotel brands, TRSDC recently announced three further hotel management agreements to operate resorts in the first phase of development at The Red Sea.

These include Ritz Carlton Reserve and Miraval hotels – the first to operate in the Middle East – and Rosewood Hotels and Resorts.

“This announcement demonstrates industry confidence in The Red Sea, with a total of 12 hospitality brands now confirmed, and signifies a growing appetite from global leaders to participate in the expansion of the Saudi Tourism market,” said John Pagano, CEO of TRSDC.

Ritz Carlton Reserve will be situated at the destination’s Ummahat Islands, while Miraval and Rosewood will be located on Shura Island, the main hub for the resort.

The rest of the line-up includes: • EDITION Hotels and St Regis Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International.

• Fairmont Hotel & Resorts, Raffles Hotels & Resorts and SLS Hotels & Residences. part of global hospitality group Accor. • Grand Hyatt, part of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

• Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts and Six Senses, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts.Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts.

The majority of the brands provide dedicated spa and wellbeing facilities as part of their offering, however, details about the wellness offering at the individual resorts are yet to be released.

The Red Sea has already passed significant milestones and work is on track to welcome the first guests in less than a year when the first hotels will open.

Phase one, which includes 16 hotels in total, will complete by the end of 2023.

Upon completion in 2030, The Red Sea 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 an international airport, luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment and leisure facilities.