Saudi Arabia’s real estate sector is undergoing a rapid digital transformation, and ROSHN Group—one of the Kingdom’s most influential national developers—is placing innovation at the heart of its customer strategy. At Cityscape Global 2025, Mohammed Alhadlaq, director of marketing campaigns at ROSHN, explained how the ROSHN Experience Truck has become a standout example of how developers can adopt mobility, technology, and experiential design to bring projects directly to customers.

Launched during last year’s edition of Cityscape, the truck marks its first anniversary in 2025 and has evolved from a bold experiment into a fully functional mobile engagement platform. “We’re back to Cityscape Global 2025, where the ROSHN Experience Truck was born last year. And today it marks a one-year anniversary… and we’re proud to continue this success,” Alhadlaq said.

More than a showpiece, the Experience Truck reflects ROSHN’s approach to embedding innovation across the entire customer lifecycle. “Experience Truck is actually one of the components of our main pillar, which is innovation. So it’s an innovative platform that we can communicate with our audience with, in addition to the multiple services that we are actually offering through ROSHN Experience Truck,” he explained.

A mobile, tech-enabled showcase of ROSHN communities

What differentiates the Experience Truck from traditional sales centres is its ability to move, reaching residents and investors wherever they are—whether in Riyadh, Dammam, or Jeddah. This has opened access for potential buyers who may not have the time to visit fixed-site sales centres.

“The main objective of ROSHN Truck is to first have a different engaging experience with our clients and visitors… for those who don’t really have the luxury of time to visit our sales center, they can find our ROSHN Experience Truck wherever they go.”

Watch video here:

The model represents a significant shift toward customer-centric urban engagement, merging mobility with advanced digital tools. Instead of brochures or static displays, visitors can explore ROSHN communities in real time through a series of immersive technologies:

• VR walkthroughs, allowing users to “enter” residential units and navigate different typologies
• Interactive community journeys, offering a feel for neighbourhood design, amenities, and open spaces
• Holographic master plan displays, providing a dynamic view of large-scale development layouts

According to Alhadlaq, this approach makes the truck “an innovative and immersive experience… not really a sales center,” but a platform designed to showcase the future of neighbourhoods with full interactivity.

Beyond customer engagement, the Experience Truck aligns closely with the Kingdom’s national push toward smart cities, digitised services, and modern urban planning. ROSHN’s ability to take large-scale master plans on the road—and present them through extended reality environments—demonstrates the practical application of these priorities.

“It’s a complete experience that showcases ROSHN’s leadership in innovation and the national role to contribute toward advancing the digital urban transformation in the Kingdom.”

Saudi Arabia’s real estate sector is entering a decisive digital phase, with PropTech solutions, AI-enabled services, and data-driven community experiences now central to how developers design and operate urban environments. Within this fast-evolving landscape, ROSHN Group has positioned innovation not as a support function, but as a strategic pillar shaping the future of its developments. At Cityscape Global 2025, Yazeed Alghamdi, director of emerging technologies at ROSHN Group, shared how the ROSHN Hackathon has become one of the organisation’s most influential platforms for advancing technology-driven real estate solutions.

Now in its third edition, the hackathon has grown into a national PropTech platform that attracts students, startups, innovators, and established companies—all contributing fresh ideas to improve the built environment. “We proudly launched the third version of ROSHN Hackathon this year. It’s a PropTech platform where innovators, students, and companies participate to bring on new ideas into the field of real estate,” said Alghamdi.

What began as a creative experiment has now evolved into a structured innovation engine embedded within ROSHN’s long-term digital strategy. Alghamdi emphasised that the initiative is tied closely to the company’s innovation arm, describing it as much more than a showcase of concepts. “Innovation is not just an enabler, but a strategic pillar today. And ROSHN is leading into it, into bringing new innovation technologies for the real estate, for the end user, and for the community,” he noted.

Watch video here:

Scaling incentives and participation

Participant momentum has grown rapidly over the last two years. ROSHN has awarded SAR2.5m in prize funding across earlier editions, with this year adding another SAR1.3m to support winning ideas. “This year we’ll be giving 1.3 million Saudi Riyal. And this is actually an element of the past two editions where we have given SAR2.5m and also over 2,000 submissions we have seen over the course of the past two years,” Alghamdi explained.

The funding demonstrates ROSHN’s ambition to turn innovation into implementation. The company views the prize pool not as a symbolic gesture but as seed support for concepts that can be integrated into real projects, communities, or digital systems.

A wider innovation scope with new tracks

Each edition of the hackathon introduces new problem statements and sector priorities. The 2025 programme reflects the broader direction of the kingdom’s real estate and PropTech ecosystem, aligning with Cityscape Global’s themes. “Every edition has its own theme. This year it comes with five different tracks supporting the theme of Cityscape Global. So we’re looking at AI and automation. We’re looking at digital experience and resident. We’re looking at IoT and sustainability. And finally, we’re looking at open digital solutions,” Alghamdi concluded.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced operating schedules for public services during the 54th Eid Al Etihad (Union Day) holiday, covering customer centres, parking, public transport and inspection facilities across the emirate.

Public parking across Dubai will be free on Monday, December 1, and Tuesday, December 2, excluding multi-storey facilities and Al Khail Gate N-365.

Standard fees resume on Wednesday, December 3.

Customer Happiness Centres will close on Monday, December 1, and Tuesday, December 2.

Smart Customer Happiness Centres in Umm Ramool, Deira, Al Barsha, Al Twar and RTA Headquarters will continue operating around the clock.

Vehicle inspection facilities under Service Provider Centres will also shut for the two-day holiday, and normal working hours will resume on Wednesday, December 3.

Dubai Metro services during Eid Al Etihad holiday

Dubai Metro services will run on Saturday, November 29, from 5am to 1am the following day, and on Sunday, November 30 from 8am to 1am.

On Monday and Tuesday, December 1 and 2, both Red and Green lines will operate from 5am to 1am.

Dubai Tram timings are set for Saturday, November 29, from 6am to 1am; Sunday, November 30, from 9am to 1am, and Monday and Tuesday, December 1 and 2, from 6am to 1am.

RTA has advised the public to check the S’hail app for changes to the Dubai Bus schedule during the holiday period.

Marine transport schedules for December 1 and 2 were made available through an online link provided by the authority.

Saudi Arabia’s urban transformation under Vision 2030 is accelerating at a scale unmatched anywhere in the region, creating new demand for developers capable of reimagining how people live, work, and build community. Among the companies entering this next phase is Egypt-based Mountain View, which has built its reputation on an unconventional philosophy: real estate is not about buildings, but about human happiness. Speaking at Cityscape Global 2025, Eng. Amr Soliman, founder and chairman of Mountain View, explained how the company’s expansion into the Kingdom is anchored in a model that blends behavioural science, architecture, design, and lifestyle programming.

Mountain View’s long-term partnership with the US-based Delivering Happiness consultancy has shaped its development methodology. As Soliman explained, “We learn how to do it in a scientific way… What makes you happy is the third place. That’s our job, to provide for our clients.”

While traditional real estate focuses on homes, offices, and masterplans, Mountain View builds around what Soliman calls the “third place”—the environment where community, hobbies, wellness, events, and social life intersect. “You see your hobbies, you see activity, you see social life, you see retail and food and beverage — but not like the regular food and beverage just to eat,” he noted. “It’s how to make events and entertainment and even goodness… how to engage people in real life.”

Designing the ‘third place’: more than smart homes and amenities

Soliman believes that most smart-home innovations in the market today miss the point. “Smart… is ridiculous also, because you go to a smart room in a hotel and you don’t know how to do the curtains and the light. You need a manual to do that,” he said. In his view, over-engineered digital systems ignore the core purpose of real estate — enhancing everyday quality of life.

At Mountain View, smartness and sustainability are used only where they support human experience. “Everything… has to lead to the happiness of the customer, of the real life,” Soliman said.

This philosophy shapes both the “hardware” (architecture and homes) and the “software” (the lifestyle ecosystem). The company’s Lighthouse concept replaces traditional clubhouses with a blended digital-physical model — combining community spaces, courts, activities, and an app that personalises resident experiences. “When you join Mountain View, you go to the app, you know what’s your activity daily, weekly,” he said. The system uses “happiness tests” to match residents with hobbies, experiences, and community touchpoints.

Soliman argues that real estate has long underserved the majority of people who simply want meaningful experiences, not elite-level performance. “We care not about professional players… They are the real market for us and the real people,” he said.

Entering the Saudi market: deep cultural insight, not generic replication

With more than 50,000 clients — representing over 200,000 residents — the company believes it understands how people live, interact, and aspire to shape their communities. This experience, Soliman said, is directly transferable to Saudi Arabia, a market he considers rich in values, family orientation, and evolving global aspirations.

“We see real people. We see every family have three, four kids… This is the real market for us. That’s why we came here,” he said.

Mountain View is also investing deeply in understanding the essence of Salmani architecture, not just replicating its visual elements. “We get deep in it and understand how it was, what’s the essence… not only the shape of triangle or something,” he said. The firm is blending heritage with global influences — including fashion — by integrating materials such as leather and wood into a modern Najdi aesthetic. “We combine it to make a different house,” he added.

Mountain View has already announced two major projects in Riyadh:

• Mountain View One – Riyadh:
Located north of the city near IKEA and Thumama Street — a 500-villa development with an investment of USD 320 million.

• Haya (Life):
A second project featuring 1,700 villas, representing more than USD 600 million in investment.

Across both developments, the company will deploy over USD 1 billion in the Saudi market. Soliman emphasised that the initial focus is execution, not expansion. “We need to focus on these two projects… we don’t want any project in Riyadh more until next Cityscape while we prove it on the ground,” he said.

While Mountain View is exploring additional Saudi cities, it will prioritise construction quality and delivery before announcing new destinations. “Actually what we need now is construction, construction and build what we had,” Soliman noted.

Soliman underscored that partnerships — with government entities, private developers, investors, and communities — are central to Mountain View’s expansion philosophy. “We believe in win, win, win. Three win,” he said. “We believe in win with the government… and the other win is the customers.”

This model, he argues, is essential in a market where land holdings are large, ambitions are high, and expectations from regulators and homeowners continue to rise. “If you have the three win, you have the right way,” he added.

Mountain View sees Saudi Arabia not just as a growth market but as the ideal environment to redefine how people experience urban life. For Soliman, the kingdom’s demographic depth, cultural identity, and appetite for global design make it a perfect match for the company’s philosophy.

By blending the “science of happiness,” personalised lifestyle ecosystems, and deeper cultural authenticity, Mountain View aims to deliver something more than housing — it aims to deliver meaning, belonging, and joy.

Saudi Arabia is reimagining luxury travel, and Red Sea Global is at the forefront. From the barefoot escapism of The Red Sea to the curated wellness and cultural immersion of AMAALA, the group is redefining what it means to experience high-end hospitality in the kingdom.

In this conversation, Brett Armitage, group head of Global Branding and Marketing at Red Sea Global, shares how storytelling, purposeful partnerships, and transformative experiences are shaping these next-generation destinations, positioning Saudi Arabia as a global benchmark for sustainable, human-centred luxury.

The Red Sea and AMAALA are redefining the meaning of luxury in Saudi Arabia. How do you approach crafting distinct brand identities for both while maintaining a unified vision under Red Sea Global?

Each destination represents a unique facet of our collective vision for regenerative tourism. The Red Sea embodies barefoot luxury and natural wonder, a sanctuary of discovery and renewal set amid pristine islands and coral reefs. AMAALA, on the other hand, is an expression of curated, ultra-luxury wellness and cultural immersion, where art, architecture, and wellbeing intersect.

Despite their distinct personalities, both are bound by Red Sea Global’s overarching philosophy: to deliver meaningful experiences that enhance people’s lives while protecting the planet. This unified purpose allows us to create differentiated brands that share one DNA, one defined by sustainability, authenticity, and transformative experiences.

How is luxury brand segmentation evolving, and what role does it play in attracting different types of high-value travellers to new destinations like The Red Sea and AMAALA?

Luxury today is no longer defined by material excess; it’s about access, purpose, and personalisation. We’re seeing clear segmentation within high-value travellers: from the conscious explorer seeking connection with nature, to the wellness connoisseur in pursuit of inner balance, to the cultural curator drawn to art and design.

By understanding this evolving psychographics, we can design experiences that truly resonate with each guest profile. The Red Sea speaks to those seeking purity, adventure, and reconnection, while AMAALA appeals to the discerning few looking for transformation through art, wellness, and culture.

Together, they position Saudi Arabia as a destination that satisfies a spectrum of modern luxury mindsets.

Storytelling is central to building emotional connection in luxury branding. How are you using narrative and design to express the essence of Saudi Arabia’s next-generation destinations?

Storytelling allows us to translate our destinations into emotional journeys rather than just physical places. Every element from architectural design to guest experience draws from Saudi Arabia’s rich natural and cultural heritage.

At The Red Sea, the story begins with nature: the interplay of desert, sea, and sky becomes a metaphor for balance and renewal.

At AMAALA, the narrative focuses on transformation, a celebration of art, wellness, and human creativity. Through design, tone, and visual identity, we’re creating destinations that invite guests to become part of the story, not just spectators.

Partnerships are increasingly a way for luxury brands to demonstrate purpose. How does Red Sea Global choose collaborators that align with its sustainability and cultural authenticity goals?

We collaborate with partners who share our commitment to regeneration, not just sustainability. Whether it’s hospitality brands, architects, or wellness innovators, we seek those who view luxury as a force for good.

Our partnerships are guided by three principles: purpose, authenticity, and innovation. Purpose ensures our projects have a measurable positive impact. Authenticity keeps us rooted in Saudi heritage and community, and innovation drives us to pioneer new ways of delivering responsible luxury. Each collaboration strengthens our ecosystem of brands working toward a shared global mission.

As someone with experience shaping global hospitality brands, how do you see guest expectations shifting, and what does “transformative luxury” mean in the context of The Red Sea and AMAALA?

Guests are seeking experiences that change them emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually. Transformative luxury means creating moments of meaning that stay with people long after they leave.

At The Red Sea and AMAALA, that transformation comes from connection: to self, to nature, and to culture. Whether it’s witnessing thriving coral ecosystems, engaging with Saudi artisans, or participating in holistic wellness programs, our guests will feel part of something larger, a movement toward travel that regenerates rather than consumes.

Looking ahead, how can brand architecture and strategic marketing help position Saudi Arabia as a global benchmark for sustainable luxury travel?

Our brand architecture is built to elevate Saudi Arabia’s global presence through clarity, cohesion, and credibility. By positioning The Red Sea and AMAALA as distinct yet complementary pillars under Red Sea Global, we’re defining a new category of luxury, one rooted in regeneration.

Strategic marketing amplifies this story across markets, combining world-class branding with thought leadership in sustainability and innovation. Ultimately, our goal is not just to attract travellers, but to inspire an industry-wide shift proving that the future of luxury is sustainable, inclusive, and deeply human.