Before breaking ground on the initial building phase, the project began efforts to regenerate marine and coastal habitats depleted by overfishing, pollution, destruction of
coral reefs and climate change. Development plans were modified to accommodate these efforts, aiming to protect 75 percent of the 90 islands from development. The island of Waqqadi, which boasts white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters, was earmarked for a grand resort, but researchers identified it as a crucial breeding ground for hawksbill turtles. The proposed resort was dropped.

© ST. REGIS RED SEA RESORT

The Red Sea, which separates Africa from the Arabian Peninsula, comprises one of the world’s biodiversity hot spots, with 1,120 species of fish, 14 percent of which exist nowhere else. The water is warm, with a high level of salinity and weak currents, resulting in excellent underwater visibility. It has long been acknowledged as a world-class diving location though, until now, the main dive sites have been located in the Gulf of Aqaba, off Egypt, Jordan and Israel, largely neglecting Saudi Arabia’s potential.

That will change within the next five years with the opening of 50 hotels offering a combined total of 8,000 rooms. Diving, watersports and idyllic beaches will be the headline attractions, but the coastal development will also provide access to the remarkable oasis town of AlUla, 150 miles inland. This UNESCO World Heritage
site — a human settlement for more than 7,000 years — features a complex of Nabatean tombs ornately carved into sandstone outcrops. These ancient wonders are complemented by Maraya, a new 500-seat concert hall constructed with mirrored outer walls to provide mirage-like reflections of the desert surroundings.

Both the Red Sea Project and AlUla are part of Saudi Vision 2030, a trillion-dollar package of developments aimed at diversifying the country’s economy. The headline project, The Line, was originally conceived as a 110-mile-long glass-walled city for 9 million people, stretching from the Red Sea into the desert. The scheme has recently been scaled back, though even at the revised 1.5-mile length it will still resemble a structure straight out of sci-fi.