Saudi news
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
by Megan Whitby | 22 Mar 2024
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is the latest brand to join the collection of luxury hospitality partners at Saudi Arabia's upcoming regenerative tourism destination Amaala. Positioned as the premier global integrated family wellness destination, Amaala is taking shape along Saudi Arabia’s north-western coastline, promising transformative experiences inspired by art, wellness and the allure of the Red Sea. Four Seasons, in collaboration with Amaala’s developer Red Sea Global (RSG), is set
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
by Rebecca Skeel | 08 Feb 2024
Populous have unveiled their plans for a state-of-the-art e-sports arena, designed to stand as a central landmark in Qiddaya City’s gaming and e-sports district, Saudi Arabia. The 5,155-seat venue will be designed to accommodate multiple experiences that prioritise players and spectators, as well as hosting both national and international esports events. The stadium will include the largest combined total video screen area of any esports arena in the world, with
GymNation – owned by JD Gyms – opens latest club in Dubai and plans Middle East expansion
by Tom Walker | 09 Aug 2023
GymNation, which was acquired by JD Gyms in 2022, has opened its latest health club in Dubai, bringing the number of sites in its UAE portfolio to 11. GymNation Downtown Dubai features more than 500 pieces of Matrix and Eleiko equipment across a 40,000sq ft space. There are also three group exercise studios, featuring programming from Les Mills and a dedicated combat zone and classes. GymNation has ambitious expansion plans,
Thinkwell to deliver the world's first Play-Doh attractions in Saudi Arabia
by Tom Walker | 22 Mar 2023
Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven) has revealed plans to develop and operate the world’s first Play-Doh attractions in Saudi Arabia. Thinkwell Group, the experience design and production agency, has been appointed to develop the attractions. Seven, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), said it will open Play-Doh sites at eight of its entertainment destinations across the country over the next 10 years. Seven has signed a
Jayasom partners with Amaala to unveil multigenerational health resort in Saudi Arabia
by Megan Whitby | 17 Mar 2023
Destination wellness resort operator Jayasom – a sister brand of Chiva Som – has revealed plans to deliver an integrative multigenerational health resort for Amaala – a vast mixed-use tourism destination in Saudi Arabia being developed by Red Sea Global (RSG). Billed as the first global integrated family wellness destination, Amaala is underpinned by the principles of sustainability and regenerative hospitality. The development will be powered entirely by renewable energy and
SEVEN to open world’s first indoor Discovery Adventures centres in Saudi Arabia
by Tom Walker | 19 Jan 2023
Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN) has signed an exclusive partnership agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery to bring purpose-built indoor adventures centres to the Kingdom. The new Discovery Adventures centres will integrate Discovery’s media content and will be designed to enable young people to "be entertained and gain informed insights with educational value". SEVEN, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), has a goal of transforming the entertainment
SEVEN to invest US$13bn in developing entertainment destinations across Saudi Arabia
by Tom Walker | 21 Dec 2022
Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Kingdom's Public Investment Fund (PIF), is to invest SAR50bn (US$13.3bn) to develop 21 integrated entertainment destinations across 14 cities in Saudi Arabia. Developed in partnership with a range of international brands, the destinations are set to feature more than 150 "innovative attractions". SEVEN has so far signed deals with Warner Bros., Discovery, Clip ‘n Climb and toy giants Mattel (for its
Nohlab's 'Everything' installation among Noor Riyadh festival highlights
by Tom Walker | 02 Dec 2022
An immersive audiovisual experience that "observes everything as it is" was a among the highlights of this year's Noor Riyadh festival in Saudi Arabia. Created by design studio Nohlabs, the installation – called Everything – is true to its name and questions everything in existence by suggesting new possibilities for them. Offering visitors the opportunity to observe the elements that construct their everyday lives, the experience ascribes new meanings to
Foster and Partners reveal design for sustainable marine life centre on the Red Sea
by Tom Walker | 30 Sep 2022
The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the AMAALA tourism project on the shores of the Red Sea, has revealed detailed plans for a marine life institute. Designed by Foster and Partners, the institute will function as both a scientific research centre and a tourist destination, with 10 zones providing a range of experiences, from augmented reality to submarine dives. The 10,340sqm institute will be built three levels
Construction marches ahead for Saudi giga-projects Amaala and The Red Sea
by Megan Whitby | 14 Sep 2022
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
Saudi Arabia's Neom mega-development to include 100-mile long 'horizontal skyscraper city'
by Tom Walker | 03 Aug 2022
Plans have been revealed for a 100-mile-long structure that is set to become the centrepiece of the ambitious Neom mega-development in Saudi Arabia. Called The Line, the "horizontal city" will be 200m wide and built on a footprint of just 34sq km. Designed to run on 100 per cent renewable energy The Line will eventually accommodate nine million people, with housing, parks and public spaces, retail and leisure facilities and
Red Sea Development unveils plans for Oppenheim-designed desert mountain resort
by Megan Whitby | 01 Oct 2021
The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the ambitious regenerative tourism project The Red Sea Project (TRSP) in Western Saudi Arabia, has revealed plans for the destination’s new mountain resort named Desert Rock. Created by architectural design firm Oppenheim Architecture, Desert Rock is being designed to protect and preserve the environment and will allow guests to connect with the nature and local culture of the region. The 60-key
Saudi Arabia offers US$133m in loans to create 50 new attractions
by Tom Walker | 12 Jul 2021
Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority (GEA) has pledged to provide SAR500m (US$133m, €112m, £96m) worth of loans to companies, in order to create new attractions and entertainment projects in the country. GEA has signed a memorandum of understanding with the country's Social Development Bank (SDB), which will see soft financing opportunities being made available to investments that contribute towards the growth and sustainability of the Saudi attractions and entertainment sector
Saudi 'giga project' Qiddiya kicks off 12-month ground preparation work
by Andy Knaggs | 04 Feb 2020
Construction at Qiddiya – the site earmarked as Saudi Arabia's future "capital of entertainment, sports and the arts" – has moved into a new phase, with the appointment of Saudi road construction company Abdul Ali Al-Ajmi to undertake a 12-month ground preparation project. The work will involve landscaping 7 million cu m (247 million cu ft) of earth, across a combined area of more than 4 million sq m (43
Huge zero-carbon resort planned for Saudi Arabia
by Megan Whitby | 30 Dec 2019
Plans have been announced for a vast zero-carbon resort to be built by the Red Sea in northwest Saudi Arabia as part of the Vision 2030 programme, which is aimed at reducing the kingdom’s dependence on oil and developing public service sectors. Set to open in 2030, the 31.4sq km (12.1sq mi) mixed-use development project, called AMAALA, will range across three different locations – called Triple Bay, The Island and
WATG and Buro Happold's Red Sea Project will be 28,000sq km destination with 14 hotels
by Andy Knaggs | 01 Aug 2019
Marine works crucial to the development of a major resort in Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea have moved a step closer with the awarding of a construction contract to Archirodon. The marine infrastructure specialists have been appointed by The Red Sea Development Company to build a 3.3km (2.05 miles) crossing between the island of Shurayrah and the mainland, to enable the development of The Red Sea Project: a proposed
Work to begin on ambitious US$500bn NEOM project in Saudi Arabia
by Tom Walker | 06 May 2019
Construction work is set to begin on a huge urban development in Saudi Arabia – described as one of the "world's ambitious building projects". NEOM, which has a total area of 26,500sq km (10,200 sq mi), is described as a smart tourist city in the northeast of Saudi Arabia, consisting of visitor attractions, cultural venues, sports facilities and vast residential areas. It is the flagship project of Saudi Arabia’s Vision
Saudi Arabia to fund US$1bn sport city in Iraq
by Tom Walker | 09 Apr 2019
The government of Saudi Arabia has pledged to fund the construction of a US$1bn "sports city" close to the Iraqi capital city Baghdad. The announcement was made by the Saudi commerce and investment minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qassabi, following a visit by senior Saudi ministers to Baghdad last week. No details of the facilities have been revealed as yet, but it is believed that the project will include a number
Saudi Arabia plans US$13.3bn investment into lifestyle destinations
by Tom Anstey | 04 May 2018
Saudi Arabia's government has revealed plans to invest SAR50bn (US$13.3bn, €11.2bn, £9.9bn) into entertainment, health, sports and education initiatives, as the country attempts to modernise and improve its citizens' quality of life. Announced yesterday (3 May) by the Kingdom's General Entertainment Authority (GEA), it is understood that the investment will generate upward of 300,000 jobs by 2020. “Government spending on the initiatives will total around 60 per cent of the
Saudi Arabia green lights country's first Museum of History of Science and Technology in Islam
by Tom Anstey | 12 Mar 2018
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has issued a license for the establishment of the country’s first ever Museum of History of Science and Technology in Islam. Issued by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), the license will see the museum established at the Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh. The project, said a release, will be developed in collaboration with the Institute of Arab and
Stadium seats made from palm tree waste proposed for Qatar World Cup innovation challenge
by Kim Megson | 25 Apr 2017
A team of engineers in Saudi Arabia has proposed how stadium seats in the near future could be made more sustainably using the fibres of palm trees. A five-member group from Al Faisal University submitted the plan as part of a regional innovation competition established by the Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, which is overseeing the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the country. The team’s method involves using
Snøhetta create 'extroverted and introverted' cultural landmark for Saudi Arabia
by Kim Megson | 16 Feb 2017
International architects Snøhetta have “blended extroversion and introversion” in their design for the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Saudi Arabia; the very first project of its kind in the kingdom. Project manager Tae-Young Yoon told CLAD that the studio’s biggest challenge was creating both a landmark and a building that “speaks to each individual person” who visits it. “The extrovert part derives from what people want and expect
Foster + Partners win competition to design cascading hotel for Mecca's pilgrims
by Kim Megson | 30 Jan 2017
Architecture studio Foster + Partners have been announced as the winner of a design competition for a new luxury hotel and serviced apartments in the heart of Mecca, Saudi Arabia – Islam’s most sacred city. Over 3.7m people are estimated to travel to Mecca (known locally as Makkah) each year for the Hajj Islamic pilgrimage. The hotel project – overseen by the Jabal Omar Development Company – is a response
Italian architects design 'artificial hill' to enclose Riyadh stadium
by Kim Megson | 19 Dec 2016
Italian architects Schiattarella Associati have won an international competition to refurbish the 50,000 capacity King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The studio have been commissioned to design the project by the country’s General Sport Authority (GSA), which said it was impressed by their decision to create an artificial hill at the base of the multi-purpose stadium, creating a formal joint with the surrounding landscaping. This sloping surface forms a
Anantara Jeddah to have ‘major focus’ on spa and wellness
by Luke Cloherty | 16 Dec 2016
Hotel operator Minor Hotels is to open a new hotel under its Anantara brand in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in which “spa and wellness will be a major focus”. An extensive selection of wellness journeys will be available as part of Anantara’s ‘Balance’ programme including detox, de-stress, weight management, anti-aging and rejuvenation. Also on offer will be therapies such as ayurveda, hammam and reflexology. Guests can tuck into wellness cuisine and
Zaha Hadid Architects triumph in competition to design Saudi cultural centre
by Kim Megson | 24 Oct 2016
Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) are to build a cultural and research complex for a Unesco World Heritage site in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. The firm have won first prize in the competition to build the Urban Heritage Administration Centre, which will incorporate a permanent exhibition gallery, library, lecture hall, educational and meeting spaces and a scientific institution for conducting field research for ongoing digs in the Wadi Hanifah valley. The 8,780sq
Winning design unveiled for Islamic faith museum in Mecca
by Kim Megson | 18 Jan 2016
London studio Mossessian Architecture have won an invited competition to design a museum of the Islamic faith in Mecca (known locally as Makkah), Saudi Arabia. The firm have partnered with French exhibition architects Studio Adeline Rispal to work on the project in Islam’s most sacred city. The museum – located 7km from the city’s Grand Holy Mosque – will explore the history and practice of Islam and the life of
Saudi Arabia to train 10,000 in architectural heritage
by Tom Anstey | 22 Jan 2015
Saudi Arabia’s Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) – in collaboration with colleges of excellence at the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) – will train 10,000 young Saudi people in architectural heritage to help professionalise the sector and boost domestic tourism. The ambitious training programme would see the students trained over the next five years in preparation for joining engineering and contracting offices and firms in the Kingdom. In
Four Seasons MENA spa director reveals details for newly renovated Saudi Arabia spa
by Helen Andrews | 08 Jan 2015
The Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre has opened its newly renovated men’s spa, designed by GA Design International. Akram Kawasmeh, senior director of spa for Four Seasons in the Middle East and Africa, spoke exclusively to Spa Opportunities – detailing the SAR10m (US$2.7m, €2.3m, £1.8m) refurbishment that started at the end of May 2014 and ended in December 2014. The 274-bedroom hotel occupies 11 floors of the tallest
Saudi Arabia runs heritage training course to protect traditional architecture
by Tom Anstey | 01 Sep 2014
A 60-day programme, conducted by Saudi Arabia’s National Urban Heritage Center (NUHC) and giving Saudi students comprehensive training in heritage renovation, has been completed by a class of graduates. The series of training programmes led by NUHC, an affiliate of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), was undertaken by students of engineering and architecture from a number of Saudi universities, including King Abdul Aziz University, Al Qassim University
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