Being developed as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the country’s economy and promote tourism and leisure activities, Amaala is to be an ultra-luxury destination that will offer unique experiences, world-class resorts, and cultural and entertainment offerings. Incorporating renewable energy sources, environmentally friendly practices, and environmental and social regeneration efforts, it is anticipated that, once fully operational, Amaala will contribute significantly to the growth of the Kingdom’s tourism sector and position the country as a premier luxury travel destination in the region.
Saudi Projects caught up with three senior figures from Amaala and its parent company Red Sea Global (RSG) to check in on progress and how one of the world’s most ambitious projects is developing.
“Despite the challenges we’ve faced, Amaala has achieved remarkable success, a testament to our unwavering determination and the relentless efforts of our dedicated team. We are proud to be creating a world-class destination that will redefine the boundaries of luxury living,” begins Fahad Al Balawi, Head of Construction, Amaala.
Melisa Pezuk – Executive Director, Assets Development on Amaala at RSG, adds: “Our masterplan at Amaala has a unique proposition dedicated to Health, Wellness, and Lifestyle offerings, incorporating a residential component that links together the values of community with sustainability. Steering our vision is an ambition to create a reference point for Wellness tourism using a regenerative approach and a lifestyle that people can call home.”
Of course, a project of this scale and ambition comes with a unique set of challenges, not least in the area of procurement, as Ben Edwards, Group Head of Cost, Commercial and Procurement at Red Sea Global, explains: “Supply chain and market capacity is a continuous challenge. The Kingdom is a hotbed of activity today, with tourism, entertainment leisure, residential and urban development happening at pace. We’ve probably been slightly privileged on The Red Sea Phase 1 because we began before other developments. But now we’re having to work harder to try and balance out the workload between the supply chain and make sure we’re not overstretching people.
“We’ve also run a series of regional roadshows to identify companies: we did one in Qatar and one in Cairo, which were very successful for us in identifying and registering new vendors. And then separately from that, the PIF itself has also realized the challenge that the giga-projects are all facing, and they’ve come up with a supply chain engagement program and we’ve participated in part of it. They’ve activated a plan to target the supply chain in Europe and the Far East and then North America in that order, and we joined them for three out of four roadshow events in Europe, so we were in London, Berlin, and Istanbul with the PIF. And certainly, the Istanbul leg of that was particularly successful – we registered 50 or 60 new vendors from it, and we’re going to do our event in Istanbul later in the year.
“Our primary approach is to go down the construction management route, so we’re going down tier two and tier three supply chains, dealing directly with the specialist suppliers, whereas the PIF focuses more on big main contractors on the one hand and on the site manufacturer on the other hand.”
“We want to build something that no one’s built before to a quality standard that hasn’t been seen before”
Simple, Elegant Design
The design work at Amaala is quite distinctive, underlining its ambition to be a world-class luxury tourism destination. “Our signature design style is reflective of coastal living; a timeless yet contemporary design that draws in architectural elements encompassing a sense of place while respecting the natural landscapes and typography,” Melisa says. “At Amaala we have been thoughtful in our design approach, working with architects who are world-renowned in luxury hospitality and have a proven track record of excellence in design. John Head has successfully designed two of our properties, including Clinic La Prairie and Jayasom, with the level of luxury combined with intricate detail allowing us to effortlessly achieve a simple, elegant design experience.”
“With the nature of our projects, we’ve got a lot of very bespoke architectural designs, because of the Wow! factor we are trying to create in the resorts,” Ben adds. “We want to build something that no one’s built before to a quality standard that hasn’t been seen before in order to deliver a really spectacular end-user experience to everything that we are building.”
It’s fair to say, though, that the interior design and finishes are proving to be something of a challenge with regard to procurement, with Ben continuing: “It’s true that we’re struggling with the supply chain that currently exists in the Kingdom.
Because of this, we’re not only looking for companies outside the Kingdom who can help us, we’re also looking at how we can develop the ability and capacity within the Kingdom. And there are a couple of PFI-led initiatives around that, one of which is called ‘Shareek’, which is providing companies with support to invest in manufacturing capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
“So we’ve given them a long list of things we frequently have to buy overseas that we shouldn’t have to buy overseas, and we’re working closely with them to try and push that agenda forwards because it’s a win/win for everybody.”
“We are proud to be creating a world-class destination that will redefine the boundaries of luxury living”
A Connected and Immersive Journey
The environment plays a crucial role in the tourism sector. It is not only a key factor in attracting tourists but also in ensuring the sustainability and long-term viability of the industry.
“Environmental consciousness is foundational to our approach at a site level,” says Melisa. We work with world-renowned environmental and conservation specialists from across the globe to drive our vision of regenerative tourism protecting the environment and those who inhabit it.
“We’re doing quite a lot of off-site manufacturing ourselves, and we’re not using that many main contractors”
“Working with a pristine and untouched coastline our greatest learnings came from respecting nature while ensuring that our considerations for the local heritage are preserved and serve as a continuing education for our visitors’ experiences. Our aim is to create a journey that is connected and immersive for all ages, providing a sense of discovery at a destination level. This incorporates ongoing research from our specialists that help to further develop the resilience of nature’s capital in other areas of the world.”
“Amaala remains committed to sustainability, implementing innovative practices to minimize environmental impact,” agrees Fahad.
In addition to its environmental commitment, Amaala offers a rare seasonality in that it has moderate temperatures year-round, as Melisa explains: Amaala provides an outdoor lifestyle, making it the perfect destination for wellbeing and sport. Our masterplan intentionally incorporates all components of the destination, promising an integrated resort experience. The development strategy supports a comprehensive offer that caters to lifestyle, arts, culture and heritage, family wellness, medical and integrative wellness as well as sports, activities, and education. We want visitors to feel like there is something for everyone and have partnered with the best operators in the business to achieve this.”
“Our aim is to create a journey that is connected and immersive for all ages, providing a sense of discovery at a destination level”
A Sanctuary of Unrivaled Luxury
Progress on Amaala Phase 1 has significantly ramped up during 2023. “That is now enabling up to open up the construction work front on every asset across the Amaala program, so when you go up there it is now a real hive of activity and has obviously stepped up a gear,” Ben says.
“We’re doing quite a lot of off-site manufacturing ourselves, and we’re not using that many main contractors. That is why Istanbul was so good for us because we met some companies that have got multiple trading businesses, which big construction conglomerates tend to have. They have large contracting divisions, a facades division, a steel frame factory, a joinery factory etc., but it wasn’t perhaps as targeted as if we’d arranged it ourselves. That’s why we are going to go back.
“We’d already planned to do something in the Far East too, and we’re trying to get there before the rest of the giga-projects! It’s like a constant challenge for us, but it’s a good challenge.” Indeed, Ben is confident that everything is and will continue to be on schedule, answering the question “Will Amaala open when planned” with “Of course!”
Luxury holiday destinations are continually evolving to meet the changing preferences and demands of affluent travelers, and, as sustainability becomes a top priority, destinations are increasingly focusing on eco-friendly practices. This is certainly true of Amaala, which will also offer unique and immersive experiences that go beyond the traditional amenities. With a blend of exclusivity, sustainability, personalization, and distinctive experiences, it is set to become one of the world’s most sought-after and popular vacation spots.
“AMAALA” is destined to be a sanctuary of unrivaled luxury, where every detail has been meticulously crafted to provide an extraordinary experience beyond imagination,” Fahad concludes.