RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is emerging as a hotspot for international investment. This is the latest hook? Sustainable hospitality.
The Kingdom led the Middle East and Africa’s hotel-construction activity with 42,033 hotel rooms being built in 2023. That was 35.1 percent of the 119,505 built in the region over the year, according to data from hotel monitoring firm STR.
According to Statista, Saudi Arabia’s hotel segment is projected to generate revenue of $2.51 billion this year and is expected to reach $3.02 billion by 2027.
One of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals is to support sustainability across all sectors, and in turn, hotels and plazas across the country are working to implement more environmental and eco-friendly practices in their facilities.
From 2010 to 2019, Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry contributed an average of 6.4 percent to the country’s GDP while recording a decline in greenhouse gas emissions.
In contrast, global GDP for travel and tourism increased by an average of 4.3 percent and emissions by 2.5 percent over the same period.
Several of Red Sea Global’s developments are already underway on the north-west coast of the Kingdom, including Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea and The St. Regis Red Sea Resort.
The company has recently announced other projects based on environmental sustainability.
Four Seasons Luxury Wellness Resort, Amala, Triple Bay, is branded with regeneration and wellness at its core, and is set to feature a unique Coralium Marine Life Institute.
Progress is also being made on a sustainability-focused employee village that will provide housing for those who work at the resort. RSG says five international operator brands, including Six Senses and Clinique La Prairie, are expected to be confirmed in the coming months.
John Pagano, Group CEO of RSG, said, “Our mission to develop new destinations that epitomize responsible tourism, showcasing the best in sustainable and regenerative development, is gaining unprecedented urgency as our planet faces the climate crisis and biodiversity. is facing challenges with respect to the loss of Said in a statement.
Economic zone NEOM recently unveiled three new sustainable hotels at its Leja Oasis, including three flagship Habitatus properties, as well as Resort Zardun, a sanctuary designed to work in harmony with the surrounding ecosystem.
NEOM’s Hotel Development division has also sponsored HotelSchool The Hague to deliver the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge to foster the next generation of innovation in the industry.
Many resorts in Saudi Arabia are designed to blend in with the surrounding environment. Take Habitas of AlUla, for example, which embraces the city’s serene desert landscape that immerses guests in its untouched backdrop.
The luxury resort brand demonstrates its sustainable ethos through offsetting carbon emissions, waste management and a single-use plastic-free policy, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.
“The AlUla Sustainability Charter is at the core of every hospitality project we develop within the destination,” Philip Jones, chief tourism officer of the Royal Commission for AlUla, told Arab News.
“From the basic design and materials of construction to the infrastructure and ongoing operations, because we only work with international operators who have a proven track record in sustainability, AlUla’s hotels and resorts each contribute to meeting our goals. “We do this, such as achieving net carbon neutrality for local emissions by 2035.”
As the Arab region exhibits overall lower environmental sustainability due to water scarcity, harsh climate and threats to biodiversity, industry leaders are redefining the buzzword to suit local standards.
There are a number of grassroots projects that examine existing traces of environmental sustainability awareness in the history of the Arab region. For example, the ancestors of the Empire demonstrated a community-centered lifestyle, while Islam advises its followers to conserve food and water consumption.
Chris Nader, CEO and co-founder of luxury ecolodge brand and management company ENVI Lodges, told Arab News: “Sustainability comes at the basis of trying to minimize our negative impacts on the environment. It’s not just nature or animals – it’s also people.”
ENVI Laguna Bay, a sustainable project developed by Al-Rasim Hotels & Resorts, will occupy a prime Red Sea coast beach destination in the mangrove-surrounded King Abdullah Economic City.
“KAEC will host the first eco-friendly coastal resort in the prestigious and picturesque Laguna region,” Ayad Musaikh, CEO of Al-Rasim Hotels & Resorts, said in a statement.
The project strongly aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Its road map for developing the tourism sector includes respecting the land, protecting wildlife, supporting local communities, mindful sourcing, in-house food production, engaging guests and designing for a sense of place. These pillars are included in the technical guidelines for the construction of the lodge.
A common belief is that construction requires destruction of land. But through its design principles, ENVI demonstrates different approaches that can be adopted to reduce its presence within the natural landscape. The company builds low-impact lodges that blend into the environment.
“We don’t dig,” Nader said. “We place our units on stilts or decks, and we don’t build the units entirely on site so the number of people and trucks coming and going on the site is very limited.”
An important element is also selecting materials from the environment, whether they be wood, rocks or soil, and sourcing materials and products that will maintain durability and integrity over time.
Opinion
Islamic thinking has a long tradition of sustainability – the Quran contains approximately 200 verses addressing environmental matters, writes Rodrigo Tavares. Click here to read his opinion,
The company also champions sourcing a percentage of the ingredients used in its kitchens from home gardens, developing programs for wildlife conservation, and hiring staff from local communities, all of which are programs specific to each lodge.
The whole concept is to recognize that the project is temporary, with the goal of leaving the landscape in more or less the same condition in which it was found. The walkways have not been poured with concrete, and native species have been planted for cross-pollination.
Another way to integrate sustainable practices within the framework of the community is to involve guests in initiatives.
“Today, guests don’t want to be spectators,” Nader said. “They don’t want to mention that the lodge is planting mangroves. They want to plant trees themselves. Guests may wish to clean the beach or lodge to remove any litter, plastics etc. They want to be involved in saving and caring for wildlife.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund recently launched Daan Company, which specializes in agrotourism and ecotourism. Architecture and design practice LWK + Partners is working with Dan Company on a project that aims to strengthen the agricultural industry in Al-Ahsa through hospitality, which will serve as a benchmark for future projects.
Kerem Cengiz, managing director of MENA at LWK+Partners, told Arab News: “Sustainability is not just about energy reduction; Sustainability is also about the way we create spaces that are harmoniously designed to be sustainable in the way we interact with them.
“We see sustainability as a holistic offering, not as a series of tick boxes that we need to achieve.
“It’s really important that when we design, we don’t have a pattern book; I still feel sad that we have seen so many buildings that are just glass towers. “They express a certain language and viewpoint, but are they desirable in the context of the challenges we face environmentally?”
He said the key to embedding these sustainable values in the future of the industry is to focus on a fundamental understanding of technology and innovation. For example, how do you install sensors that turn off the AC when guests leave the room?
Saudi Arabia is a leader in many development practices, Cengiz said. The Holiday Inn Tabuk is using solar power as an alternative energy source in some locations, while the InterContinental Jubail runs voluntary campaigns to clean its beaches.
Like Nader, Cengiz said private and public developers should move toward sourcing materials that are available locally or regionally. This adds great value not only economically, but also sustainably, by cutting down on products imported from abroad, as well as reducing carbon emissions.
He said: “Now, Saudi is developing its own market and its own product range. I think that in itself has a cascading effect and I would love to see more attention to that type of thing.
“I think we are now a long way from the 2030 vision. I mean, we’re evolving it into something even more impressive.
