The Red Sea Development Company has unveiled plans for its new mountain resort. Desert Rock will be placed in the stunning wadi panoramas of western Saudi Arabia. Desert Rock, created by the world-class architectural design firm Oppenheim Architecture, is intended to safeguard and maintain the ecosystem while also allowing tourists to engage with the region’s wildlife and culture.
“We sought to establish a destination that allows people to enjoy the pristine beauty of Saudi Arabia.”
“Desert Rock will provide guests with unrivalled views while protecting the natural landscape for future generations to enjoy,” TRSDC CEO John Pagano stated.
“We drew inspiration from the surrounding environment while providing unsurpassed luxury, allowing visitors to interact with nature and create memorable moments,” he continued.
The resort will be accessed via a secluded valley situated between the mountains. From there, guests will find 48 villas and 12 hotel rooms within the mountain, for a total of 60 keys, with architecture totally incorporated into the rock to retain its stunning silhouette, a testament to Oppenheim Architecture’s idea of building with the land, not on the land.
There will be a variety of accommodations available, ranging from ground level residences to crevice hotel suites midway up the mountain, as well as a limited number of dug rooms within the rock massif itself.
Most roads leading into the resort will be relocated to the edge of the main wadi and buried behind landscape mounds to allow uninterrupted views of the landscape. This would also reduce noise and light pollution, allowing visitors to fully appreciate the stunning desert scenery.
The resort will include cutting-edge amenities such as a world-class spa and fitness centre, distant destination dining locations, and a feature lagoon sanctuary. The Red Sea Development Company activities programme, guests will be able to hike, ride dune buggies, and look at the stars.
The project also aims to preserve the site’s old heritage by hiring members of the local community to act as stewards of the land and conduct educational tours about the area’s history to tourists.
The building is intended to reduce energy use while also regenerating native plants.
Water retention and distribution systems will be installed around the site, and gathered rainfall will be used to produce a more green and flourishing Wadi.
Additionally, materials excavated from the site will be used to construct the infrastructure.
Stone will be used for the interior and external walls and floors, while ground stone and existing sand will be used for the concrete aggregate, which will be the major building material for the entire architecture.
“Desert Rock is one of the most spectacular desert environments in the world,” said Chad Oppenheim, founder of Oppenheim Building, “which is why we wanted to utilise the architecture as a way to acknowledge and respect it.”
“By incorporating the resort into the rock and using natural materials, guests may interact physically with the region and enjoy Saudi Arabia’s breathtaking, natural beauty.”
Site preparation has begun, and construction will begin in July.
The Red Sea Project has already achieved significant milestones in terms of the destination, and work is on pace to welcome the first guests by the end of 2022, when the first hotels open.
Phase One, which will comprise a total of 16 hotels, will be completed by 2023.
When finished in 2030, the destination would have 50 resorts with up to 8,000 hotel rooms and over 1,000 residential buildings spread across 22 islands and six inland areas.
The resort will also feature luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment, and leisure amenities, as well as an international airport.
