30 Dec 2019
GOCO consults on vast zero-carbon resort in Saudi Arabia
BY Megan Whitby
Plans have been announced for a zero-carbon resort destination to be built by the Red Sea in northwest Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince is chairing the project as part of his Vision 2030 Programme, which aims to reduce the Kingdom’s dependence on oil and develop public service sectors, such as tourism, leisure, health and education.
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 The Coastal Development – which will accommodate approximately 835 villas and condominiums.
Triple Bay will be the core of AMAALA, and will feature wellness, medical and surgical facilities. It will include an integrative holistic wellness centre, medical wellness resort, a wellness village and a wellness research institute.
The institute will serve as an on-site centre for wellness scholarship, grounded in Arabian culture, knowledge and science. It will facilitate research into ways of combatting lifestyle diseases and promoting preventative health measures across the AMAALA project.
The Wellness Village will offer guests the chance to experience sustainable wellness through dining experiences, events and retail, as well as beauty, holistic and medical wellness offerings.
The initial seed funding will be provided by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, while private sector companies and market investors will be invited at a later date to invest in the project, as well as operate the project's facilities.
AMAALA is headed up by CEO Nicholas Naples who has 30 years’ industry experience and has previously worked for luxury brands, including Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Caesars Entertainment and Las Vegas Sands.
Ingo Schweder, founder and CEO of GOCO and MD of Howarth HTL Health and Wellness, has been appointed to provide hospitality development and industry expertise.
Schweder said: “I‘m proud to be a part of this project, and hope that our focused input will help drive a concept of wellness that can be found across AMAALA, a project I believe will set a new benchmark for the luxury wellness hospitality industry.”
GOCO Hospitality has also been assisting AMAALA by offering wellness guidance for the masterplanning stage, as well as technical services and design recommendations.
In addition to the wellness core, AMAALA will feature a range of active sport offerings including equestrian facilities, polo, diving, yachting, golf, falconry, camel racing and more.
AMAALA’s two other resort sites will offer arts and culture programming, bespoke retail and dining experiences, as well as a contemporary art museum and marine institute.
Construction is set to start in 2020, with all phases completed by 2028.
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