The Red Sea
البحر الأحمر | |
---|---|
Tourism destination | |
Coordinates: 25°30′18″N 36°57′18″E / 25.50500°N 36.95500°E | |
Country | Saudi Arabia |
Announced | July 2017 |
Government | |
• CEO | John Pagano [1] |
Area | |
• Total | 28,000 km2 (11,000 sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+03 (Arabian Standard Time) |
Website |
www |
The Red Sea Project, commonly referred to as The Red Sea, is a planned tourism megaproject in Saudi Arabia. The project forms part of the Saudi Vision 2030 program. [2] The project was announced by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in July 2017.
Construction began at The Red Sea in February 2019 [3] and was expected to be completed by 2030. [4] The first three hotels are expected to open in 2023, [5] while 16 hotels, the Red Sea International Airport, a yachting marina, historical sites and recreation centers are expected to open in 2024. [6]
On completion in 2030, The Red Sea aims to have 50 hotels with 8,000 rooms, and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. [7]
The project is located on the west coast of Saudi Arabia in a 28,000 km2 area in Tabuk province between the cities of Umluj and Al-Wajh. The area includes 90 unspoiled offshore islands, 200km of coastline on the Red Sea, beaches, desert, mountains and volcanoes. [7] This also incorporates the Al Wajh lagoon, a pristine 2,081 km2 area that includes valuable habitats (coral reefs, seagrass, and mangroves) and species of global conservation importance. [8]
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