In a Garden of Coral, a Cleaner Tourism is Flowering

In rosettes of lustrous magenta, sprigs of rich ochre and blooms of soothing lavender, the corals of the Red Sea sway beneath waters of remarkable transparency to provide a signal of promise in a world threatened by climate change.

These are not just corals but thermo-resistant corals. They are the product of a 12,000-year evolutionary process that gave them unique tolerance to the rising sea temperatures that are destroying 90% of the world’s coral reefs and the 45% of marine life which depends on them.

What makes this ecosystem even more precious is that Red Sea coral is being cultivated to replenish the world’s most threatened reefs as part of an unrivaled initiative that combines responsible development with regenerative tourism. The Red Sea, a luxurious and regenerative new destination on the West coast of Saudi Arabia, will enable visitors to witness this stunning kaleidoscope of marine beauty while simultaneously setting a gold standard in tourism that can benefit the entire planet.

Developed by responsible multi-project developer, Red Sea Global, The Red Sea is a 28,000 km2 site that includes an archipelago of 90 islands, sweeping desert dunes and a mountain range containing 50 dormant volcanic cones. The destination encompasses the Al Wajh Lagoon, home to the world’s fourth-largest barrier reef system and one of the most bountiful, with 280 recorded species of fish and 314 types of coral.

Unlike other reefs, which have suffered from their proximity to tourism developments, this marine ecosystem is set to reap benefits which can be replicated internationally. Through a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Global is supporting the farming of thermo-resistant corals. Environmental scientists have collated approximately 1,000 crates of coral and are nurturing them on “unique floating nursery platforms”, says the developer’s CEO, John Pagano. “We are already observing rapid coral growth and have demonstrated huge potential to produce large numbers of coral by breeding them.”

This work, he says, “could very well support the conservation of coral reefs worldwide” and will help Red Sea Global towards its ambitious target of achieving a 30% net conservation benefit by 2040. In doing so, it will set new standards in the development and tourism sectors and encourage others to rethink how they operate to minimize their impact on the environment.

An aquatic paradise, the Al Wajh reef stems from the end of the Ice Age, when coral larvae surged through the Gulf of Aden and into the Red Sea through a bottleneck of warm waters which filtered out species that could not survive high temperatures. The resultant coral ecosystem has exceptional resilience to marine heat waves and is one of the few thriving reefs left in the world.  

The Red Sea will welcome its first guests in 2023 when the first three hotels open; the Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, St Regis Red Sea Resort and Nujuma, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve. By early 2024, 13 more hotels will open and, by completion in 2030, the project will have 50 hotels and 8,000 rooms across 22 islands. 

On Shura Island, hub of The Red Sea, Foster + Partners have created the “Coral Bloom” concept, linking all 11 hotels and amenities in one complementary design, powered by renewable energy and inspired by the vividly colored invertebrates on the reef that surrounds it. Guests can dive, kayak and windsurf or head to the mainland for mountain biking and exploration of the region’s many cultural and historical sites.

Amaala, a second luxury tourism destination set to open along the Red Sea coast in 2024, will have a focus on wellness and the arts. Alongside sumptuous waterside villas, Amaala will host world-leading cultural events and be home to a contemporary art gallery and artisan workshops. The resort will offer activities from yachting and tennis to the traditional sports of falconry and camel racing. 

Red Sea Global is determined that these two ambitious regenerative developments will not threaten the delicate environments in which they stand but protect and improve them by enriching natural capital. 

The Red Sea and Amaala will be carbon neutral. Less than 1% of the total site will be developed on the former, with 75% of the islands in the archipelago left untouched and nine designated as special conservation zones. At Amaala just 5% of the land will be developed.

The Red Sea has banned single use plastics, manufacturing takes place off-site, minimizing environmental impact, and non-recyclable material is incinerated to make bricks, so nothing goes to landfill. Buildings are made from low-carbon materials, while recycled steel is used to create 73 orb-shaped villas for a resort on Sheybarah Island.

The Saudi climate provides an unlimited source of solar energy. Sun-powered desalination plants will tackle water scarcity. A team of 6,000 workers are building solar farms to generate power for the world’s biggest microgrid of renewable energy and the world’s largest battery storage facility, with capacity to store 1,200 Megawatt hours of electricity. As a result, The Red Sea and Amaala will run entirely on renewable energy, day and night.

All vehicles, from cars to sanitation trucks, will be electric-powered. Red Sea Global is experimenting with boats and planes fueled by hydrogen. It is planting 6 million mangrove trees to reduce global warming with a CO2 offset equivalent to the annual emissions of 14,000 cars.

In total, Red Sea Global will create 120,000 jobs through these two projects, many for young Saudis, and generate US$ 9 billion (SAR 33 billion) for national GDP, supporting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan to drive social reform and diversify the economy beyond oil, while preserving its cultural and environmental heritage.

Pagano has a fine record in delivering multi-billion dollar investments of global importance. He led the positioning of London’s Canary Wharf as a landmark headquarters for global financial companies and a prestigious residential location. He also oversaw the $3.5 billion Baha Mar luxury tourism destination in the Bahamas.

By drawing on Saudi Arabia’s expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning, Red Sea Global will ensure that guests at both destinations enjoy seamless smart city services while enjoying life-changing experiences at no cost to the environment.

The Red Sea and Amaala represent a marriage of nature and technology. Red Sea Global is reimagining the future of regenerative tourism and responsible development by creating these spectacular destinations from scratch whilst ensuring that people and planet are put first in every decision made. “Our company,” says Pagano, “is one big Petri dish for innovation.”