The Red Sea Project is on track to welcome its first guests by the end of 2022 when its first hotels will open. Photo: Red Sea Development
The Red Sea Project is on track to welcome its first guests by the end of 2022 when its first hotels will open. Photo: Red Sea Development
The Red Sea Project is on track to welcome its first guests by the end of 2022 when its first hotels will open. Photo: Red Sea Development
The Red Sea Project is on track to welcome its first guests by the end of 2022 when its first hotels will open. Photo: Red Sea Development

Saudi Arabia's Red Sea tourism project counts on biofuel in sustainability push


Alvin R Cabral
  • English
  • Arabic

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Development Company, which is building a mega tourism destination in the kingdom, will use biofuel generators to operate its facilities, reinforcing its sustainability drive.

Germany's MAN Energy Solutions will provide 25 sets of generators with a total production capacity of 112 megawatts for the Red Sea Project, the developer said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency.

Red Sea Development plans to continue investing in clean energy resources, which, in turn, will help it set new global standards in the renewable tourism field, chief executive John Pagano said.

“Even if solar energy is not available, the energy source will continue to be completely climate-neutral thanks to our engines," he said.

The Red Sea Project is among key developments being built in Saudi Arabia as the kingdom continues its diversification drive under its Vision 2030 agenda, steering away from its reliance on oil, tapping other high-growth industries to boost its economy, create more job opportunities and attract private investment to boost economic development.

It extends more than 200 kilometres on the shores of the Red Sea, encompassing an archipelago of more than 90 islands with an area of 28,000 square kilometres.

Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's biggest economy, last month unveiled a new strategy under its National Development Fund, where it aims to support the sustainable development goals of all economic sectors by transforming it into an integrated national financial institution.

The sustainable infrastructure of the Red Sea Project banks on renewable energy supplies without relying on the national electric grid. It will be operated on solar energy stations that include storage batteries with the system of MAN GenSets, which use climate-neutral biofuel, in six locations.

The infrastructure was developed by a consortium led by utility Acwa Power in Riyadh.

Red Sea Development, an entity wholly owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, was established to drive the development of the Red Sea Project, a luxury tourism destination that aims to set new standards in sustainable development and enhance the kingdom's position on the global tourism map.

The development has progressed rapidly in 2021, with the project's international airport on track to open by the end of this year, the company's website says. Enabling infrastructure — including roads, jetties and bridges — are also well under way.

Essential infrastructure is already under way, with about 80km of new roads complete, including the new airport road.

The project's first phase has already passed a number of milestones and work is on track to welcome the first guests by the end of this year, when the first hotels will also open, the company said. All 16 hotels planned for this phase will be opening by the end of 2023.

Upon completion in 2030, the Red Sea Project will comprise about 50 resorts, up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands resorts, mountain retreats and desert hideaways. The destination will include marinas, golf courses, entertainment and leisure facilities as well as luxury residential properties and commercial, retail and recreational facilities.

In January, Red Sea Development announced it had achieved financial close on its 14.12 billion Saudi riyal ($3.76bn) term loan facility and a revolving credit facility with a number of banks in the kingdom.

The story in numbers

18

This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens

450,000

More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps

1.5 million

There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m

73

The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association

18,000

The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme

77,400

The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study

4,926

This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

RESULT

Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')

Match info

Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')

The specs

Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Kerb weight: 1580kg

Price: From Dh750k

On sale: via special order

if you go

The flights

Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes. 

The hotels

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes. 

When to visit

March-May and September-November

Visas

Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Hales' batting career

Tests 11; Runs 573; 100s 0; 50s 5; Avg 27.38; Best 94

ODIs 58; Runs 1,957; 100s 5; 50s 11; Avg 36.24; Best 171

T20s 52; Runs 1,456; 100s 1; 50s 7; Avg 31.65; Best 116 not out

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Ten10 Cricket League

Venue and schedule Sharjah Cricket Stadium, December 14 to 17

Teams

Maratha Arabians Leading player: Virender Sehwag; Top picks: Mohammed Amir, Imad Wasim; UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Zahoor Khan

Bengal Lions Leading player: Sarfraz Ahmed; Top picks: Sunil Narine, Mustafizur Rahman; UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Rameez Shahzad

Kerala Kings Leading player: Eoin Morgan; Top picks: Kieron Pollard, Sohail Tanvir; UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Imran Haider

Pakhtoons Leading player: Shahid Afridi; Top picks: Fakhar Zaman, Tamim Iqbal; UAE players: Amjad Javed, Saqlain Haider

Punjabi Legends Leading player: Shoaib Malik; Top picks: Hasan Ali, Chris Jordan; UAE players: Ghulam Shabber, Shareef Asadullah

Team Sri Lanka Cricket Will be made up of Colombo players who won island’s domestic limited-overs competition

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books

Results:

5pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,200 metres

Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Younis Kalbani (trainer)

5.30pm: UAE Arabian Derby (PA) | Prestige | Dh150,000 | 2,200m

Winner: Octave, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi

6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round 3 (PA) | Group 3 Dh300,000 | 2,200m

Winner: Harrab, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Ali

6.30pm: Emirates Championship (PA) | Group 1 | Dh1million | 2,200m

Winner: BF Mughader, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani

7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (TB) | Group 3 | Dh380,000 | 2,200m

Winner: GM Hopkins, Patrick Cosgrave, Jaber Ramadhan

7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) | Conditions | Dh70,000 | 1,600m

Winner: AF La’Asae, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

Updated: April 21, 2022, 8:15 AM`