Page 50 - #189 March 2024

SPECIAL FEATURE - KSA GIGA PROJECTS

Transforming Tourism & Unlocking New Sectors

The 14 Giga-Projects across Saudi Arabia are shaping the country in-line with Vision 2030 and are a selection of
schemes being designed to oversee a significant transformation of the Saudi Arabian economy. Over the coming
pages RLI offers a breakdown on each of the unique projects currently under construction.

eveloped as part of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s and restorative guest experiences for all. Hidden in plain sight on Saudi
DVision 2030 plan to transform the country, the series of giant Arabia’s north-western coast and under construction by developer Red
developments are known as giga-projects. Each is huge in scale and Sea Global, AMAALA will be home to more than 3,000 hotel rooms,
ambition, and many are directly funded by the country’s sovereign wealth residential establishments, recreational facilities, a world-leading marine
fund – the Public Investment Fund. Others, such as the Mohammed bin life institute and iconic Yacht Club, all set within an area of outstanding
Salman Non-profit City, are funded by the crown prince himself. Read natural beauty. AMAALA is due to complete in 2027. Its first phase, Triple
on to learn a little more about each of them. Bay, is scheduled to finish in 2024. It includes eight resorts with more than
1,300 hotel rooms and it will be a place where guests will be able to reach
Gigs-Projects Across Saudi Arabia new levels of wellbeing with its holistic, comprehensive wellness offer.
A place of extraordinary human and natural heritage, AIUIA invites Just 15 minutes northwest of Riyadh, Diriyah is the home of the
visitors to come on a journey through a living museum of preserved At-Turaif UNESCO World Heritage Site, a beautifully preserved mud-
tombs, sandstone outcrops, historic dwellings and monuments, both brick city that was the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the
natural and human-made, holding 200,000 years of largely unexplored capital of the First Saudi State and the original home of House Al Saud.
human history. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has long been a crossroads Combining traditional Najdi architectural styles with modern urbanism,
of ancient civilisations — a place of deep history, but one that is Diriyah is a place that emotionally connects with visitors and celebrates
constantly evolving and AlUla is an extraordinary example of this. the destination’s rich heritage, revealing the origins of modern Saudi
Developed by the French Agency for the development of AIUIa (Afalula) Arabia and the spiritual values it is rooted in. This giga-project is being
and the Royal Commission for AIUIa (RCU), AIUIa is at the forefront of developed by Diriyah Company under the ownership of the Public
the Vision 2030 plan initiated by the Saudi government to modernise the Investment Fund, which offers a unique opportunity to visit, live, work,
country, with the project part of a series of major schemes to diversify shop, dine and celebrate the wonder of Saudi Arabia’s rich heritage
its economy and raise its profile from an international perspective. and culture. The first part of Diriyah, Bujairi Terrace, launched back
Inspired by arts, wellness and the purity of the Red Sea, AMAALA is in December 2022 and features a collection of 21 globally renowned
the world’s first integrated family wellness destination, offering unique restaurants over a 15,000sq m area.

50 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL MARCH 2024