Sindalah is set to be the first destination open to the public in Neom, the $500 billion megacity project planned by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, already one of the world's most ambitious sustainable urban developments.
The island resort will be spread over approximately 840,000 square metres, with one of the main aims of the development being to conserve natural beauty — one of Neom's central themes.
"I would call it the jewel of the Red Sea," Peter Fitzhardinge, the director of marketing and sales at Neom Tourism told The National. "It is surrounded by magnificent corals, turquoise waters and magnificent views back over Neom's mainland.
"It is perfectly positioned to draw the world here and we will draw the world here based on our beauty and our development."
Saudi Arabia is trying to boost tourism revenue as part of its Vision 2030, a multi-sector initiative aimed at diversifying the country's economy, from grassroots reform in education to high-profile projects such as Neom.
This month, Prince Mohammed said: “This is another significant moment for Neom and a major step in the kingdom realising its tourism ambitions under Vision 2030.
"Sindalah will be Neom’s first luxury island and yacht club destination in the Red Sea, providing a scenic gateway to the Red Sea that will become the region’s most exciting and attractive tourism location.
"It will be a destination where travellers can experience the true beauty of Neom and Saudi Arabia, above and below the water, making Sindalah the future of luxury travel," he said.
What is Sindalah and when will it be open to public?
The resort will include luxury hotels and a large marina, beach club, yacht club, spa and wellness centre as well as 51 luxury retail outlets.
Sindalah is set to feature 413 premium rooms across three luxury hotels, as well as 88 villas, 333 serviced apartments, nine fine-dining restaurants, nine casual restaurants, some with rooftop lounges.
Sindalah is set to open early in 2024, said Mr Fitzhardinge. The island is expected to receive 2,400 visitors a day by 2028. About 3,500 jobs are expected to be created in the process.
"What I am most excited about is it will be the first tourism asset which will be opened in Neom, in the Neom way of tourism," says Mr Fitzhardinge. He said he was excited by the opportunity to welcome the first visitors.
Sindalah will offer activities including kayaking, kite surfing, water skiing and scuba diving.
What will Sindalah offer and how easy is it to get there?
"When you think of Neom, which will soon open to the world and Saudi Arabia, which is now open to the world, these are new regions the world wants to come to explore. This is very strong for us," Mr Fitzhardinge says.
Equally the coastline, islands and aquatic side to Neom are among its strongest assets. With the country opening up to foreign tourism, Mr Fitzhardinge believes this will be "a very strong lure for the world to come here. Sindalah sits very much in the middle of that."
Chris Newman, hotel development executive director at Sindalah, said the island would be exciting, with a lot happening including food and shopping festivals, sports events, "plus promotional events, the beach club, golf course, yachting events and so on".
He said initially, Sindalah anticipates 70 per cent of visitors will come from within the GCC. As the "destination matures and word spreads, that will change and we can expect people from around the world to make the journey." Forty per cent of the world's population will be able to fly to Neom within six hours by plane.
Antoni Vives, chief urban planning officer of Neom, said: "When we talk about connectivity, we look at the fact that Neom is just three or four hours away on a plane from the big capital cities of Europe. Then 40 per cent of the world is just six hours away. In Neom itself, people will be able to go from Sindalah to The Line easily — with a population of more than one million by 2030."
What were the challenges while building Sindalah?
"I see challenges as opportunities, we are taught that from a young age. For us it was an opportunity start from scratch, a blank canvas. I don't see anything holding us back, perhaps the only challenge is ourselves, limits of vision," says Mr Fitzhardinge.
Italian luxury yacht architect Luca Dini is the mastermind behind the design with over 25 years of experience.
"He is an extraordinary talent almost bigger than life gentleman — almost a coup and a great statement for Sindalah that we have one of the greatest yachting designers in the world designing it," says Mr Fitzhardinge.
How does sustainability play a part?
"Nothing is done in Neom without sustainability and environment at the centre, it just doesn't happen," Mr Fitzhardinge says. "If there is a compromise, it doesn't go through. From how we use energy, since we use renewables, Neom will be home to the largest solar energy, it is very much reliant upon that as well as desalination and green hydrogen, which is the future. The environment is key. The pristine waters, sea and wildlife, every step is taken that the environment is looked after."
Only electric vehicles will be used in Sindalah.
The clean energy strategy is firmly at the core of Neom projects as the city will be run by renewable energy. Neom aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.
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.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
More on animal trafficking
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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Year started: 2018
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Sector: Water technology
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