Open For Business – The Latest Tourism Projects In Saudi Arabia

After officially opening its doors to the world in 2019, all eyes are on Saudi Arabia as a regional and international tourist destination. As of last year, expansive tourism projects worth an approximate USD 27 billion are already underway in the country.

With local and global investors on board to build multiple mixed-used facilities, the country is also facing a boom in the construction of roads and highways, bridges, airports, utilities, and public infrastructure facilities to help visitors access these tourist destinations. Projected to be worth USD 24 million by the end of 2025, the Saudi Arabian hotel market has an estimated 218 hotels under construction, with a record 73,599 rooms being built.

Some of the projects leading this construction-related tourism boom include:

Neom

The Neom digitalized city is Saudi Arabia’s most futuristic and innovative residential and tourism development endeavor. The ambitious, one-of-a-kind project is slated to feature artificial moons, theme parks with life-size robotic dinosaurs, and avant-garde automation.

The project is also heavily eco-conscious and includes the construction of renewable energy infrastructure, health and wellness facilities, and processing plants for clean water production. To support this joint tourism and residential venture are multiple international partnerships and investments that combine the world’s best business acumen for the site’s development.

In this regard, Oliver Ripley, co-founder of 3D-printed hotel company Habitas, has recently expressed interest in bringing the concept to Neom and other tourist locations within Saudi Arabia. Using 3D-printing technology to construct on-site in multiple configurations, 3D-printed hotels can be completed within six to nine months, adding additional opportunities for the construction-support industry in the country.

Amaala

A Public Investment Fund supported the project, the luxury Amaala site is set to begin construction this year and will see development right through to 2028. International expertise is involved in developing luxury resorts, as well as office and entertainment spaces.

Entertainment options also include the establishment of cinema venues for a total of the 140 new cinemas that are scheduled to be built in the country. As a mixed-use development, it will also see diverse projects come up throughout the year and beyond, predominantly focused on art, culture, and wellness.

Development phases over the eight-year period include the construction of solar energy infrastructure, and waste management facilities to support the sustainability of the entire 3,800 square kilometer area.

AlUla

The AlUla project is being developed as the largest living museum in the world. Renowned for its natural beauty and archaeological diversity, AlUla will serve as a major heritage, cultural arts, and adventure tourism destination, welcoming an estimated two million visitors annually by 2035.

The Maraya Concert Hall on the AlUla site has been declared as the world’s largest mirror-clad building by the Guinness World Record and is slated to attract tourists from the world over. Like Neom, and other giga projects out of Saudi, AlUla is driving additional infrastructural developments to ease access to the site.

To facilitate this movement of not only construction goods but also people, the government has announced that the AlUla Prince Abdulmajeed bin Abdulaziz Airport will undergo a transformation from its current domestic-airport status into an aviation hub that can welcome international tourists.

This will increase the current handling capacity of 100,000 passengers to over 400,000 tourist visitors a year. The development and extension of similar airports within the Kingdom are making Saudi Arabia the largest airport constructor in the Middle East.

Now is an excellent time for companies to set their reputation as innovative and forward-thinking partners who can be commissioned to partake in the tourism projects taking shape within the country.

To learn more about how SSF can help support you in the construction of Saudi Arabia’s leading tourism projects, get in touch with us here.