CEO interview: Saudi tourism will come back stronger than ever- Red Sea project developer

CEO interview: Saudi tourism will come back stronger than ever- Red Sea project developer

The project, located on Saudi Arabia’s western coast, is being marketed as a luxury destination that will set new standards in sustainable development. Promising to mitigate carbon emissions as well as waste production, its goal is to be carbon negative through plans to support and grow natural habitats. Noise and light pollution at the level equivalent of a Marine Protected Area, as set out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is another of the project’s key environmental pledges.  

The pandemic may have threatened the project’s progress in 2020, but John Pagano, CEO of The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) said the company has been able to maintain 40 percent of its workforce at the site, located between the cities of Umluj and Al Wajh, despite strict government restrictions, meaning progress remains on track to welcome the first guests next year.

Pagano said the company had also made “significant progress” in terms of investment, awarding 500 contracts worth SAR 15 billion ($4 billion). Its largest to date is with ACWA Power, which will design, build, operate and transfer the project’s utilities infrastructure.