The Middle East’s first Ritz-Carlton Reserve to be established in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea project

Marriott International has signed an agreement with The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) to debut its Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand off the west coast of Saudi Arabia.

Slated to debut in 2023, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, it will be the first property from the brand in the Middle East. Apart from the property in Saudi, there are only five other Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties worldwide.

Current Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties are located in Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Reserve properties are tucked away in handpicked corners of the world, featuring chic, relaxed and intimate settings that weave indigenous flavors with highly responsive and individualized service

Nujuma is located on a set of private islands, which are part of the Red Sea’s Blue Hole cluster of islands.

The resort is expected to feature 63 one- to four-bedroom water and beach villas. Plans also include a range of luxurious amenities and exceptional services including a lavish spa, swimming pools, multiple culinary venues, a retail area and a variety of other leisure and entertainment offerings including a Conservation Center.

Apart from the villas, the property will also include 18 Ritz-Carlton Reserve branded residences.

“We are thrilled to bring our most luxurious brand, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and its exemplary experience to the Middle East. Perfectly situated on one of the most anticipated regenerative tourism projects in the world, the resort will blend seclusion and sophistication to provide a highly personalized luxury escape,” said Jerome Briet, chief development officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa at Marriott International.

John Pagano, CEO at TRSDC added, “Around the world, Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties are synonymous with providing unique luxury experiences and creating personalized meaningful escapes, underpinned by a commitment to sustainable practices. As we inch closer to opening our first resorts early next year, this world-class brand is sure to excite and entice future guests.”

Marriott International announced it has signed an agreement to debut its Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand off the west coast of Saudi Arabia. Slated to debut in 2023, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, will be the first property from the brand in the Middle East. https://t.co/y8QVNUm7cx pic.twitter.com/Sg38BxOqVO

— Marriott International (@MarriottIntl) May 23, 2022

The Red Sea Project is a regenerative tourism project, covering 28,000 square kilometers on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, of which less than one per cent will be developed. The development includes an archipelago of more than 90 untouched natural islands, as well as dormant volcanoes, desert dunes, mountains and wadis, and more than 1,600 cultural heritage sites.

“We are committed to achieving a net positive conservation benefit of 30 per cent by 2040 by enhancing key habitats of coral, mangroves and seagrasses to allow biodiversity to flourish and to provide safe havens for rare species such as green and hawksbill turtles, sooty falcons and more,” Pagano told Gulf Business earlier this year.

Read: Power Letters 2022: John Pagano, CEO, The Red Sea Development Company and Amaala