RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has unveiled its luxury island destination, Sindalah, part of the $500-billion NEOM mega-project, as the Kingdom intensifies efforts to expand its tourism sector. 

NEOM announced that the project, developed over two years with the involvement of four local contractors and 60 subcontractors, has welcomed its first guests, signaling a new era of high-end tourism in Saudi Arabia, according to a press release. 

Such giga-projects are central to Saudi Arabia’s strategy for economic diversification, aligning with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 tourism goals. The National Tourism Strategy aims to draw 150 million visitors by 2030 and increase tourism’s contribution to gross domestic product from 6 percent to 10 percent. 

“NEOM is committed to supporting the Kingdom’s new era of luxury tourism, with the opening of Sindalah. The realization of this landmark destination, the gateway to the Red Sea, is due to the visionary leadership of His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman and Saudi Vision 2030,” said Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM.  

He added: “NEOM’s inaugural destination offers visitors a ‘first glimpse’ of what the future holds for our extensive portfolio of destinations and developments.”  

Located 5 km off NEOM’s northwest coast, Sindalah spans 840,000 sq. meters and is set to welcome up to 2,400 guests daily by 2028, creating 3,500 jobs and driving growth in Saudi Arabia’s hospitality and tourism sectors. 

Sindalah’s waters are home to 1,100 fish species, including 45 unique to NEOM, and over 300 coral species.  

“In line with NEOM’s commitment to sustainability and conservation, preservation of Sindalah’s natural marine habitat has been central to the island’s development, and guests are invited to dive beneath the surface to explore its wonders for themselves,” stated NEOM.  

The destination will feature a yacht club, beach club, and golf club, as well as docking facilities, additional offshore buoys for super yachts, and comprehensive yacht management services. 

Sindalah offers 440 rooms, 88 villas, and 218 luxury serviced apartments for accommodation. NEOM stated that booking information will be released soon through its tourism channels. 

RIYADH: BRICS leaders are calling for increased financial resources and stronger partnerships to address land degradation, desertification, and drought ahead of a UN environment conference in Saudi Arabia in December.

This comes as the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, as well as South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, have issued a joint statement emphasizing that these environmental challenges “are posing serious threats to the well-being and livelihoods of people and the environment.”

In the statement, the BRICS leaders acknowledged ongoing efforts in sustainable land management while stressing the need for “integrated policies” to tackle these interconnected issues.

The statement comes as the Kingdom prepares to host the 16th session of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, or UNCCD COP16, in Riyadh from Dec. 2 — 13, amid growing global concern over land degradation that already affects 40 percent of the planet and impacts 3.2 billion people, according to UNCCD data. 

The initiative aligns with the UNCCD’s objective to restore 1.5 billion hectares of damaged land by 2030. As per the UNCCD, each dollar put into land restoration has the potential to generate up to $30 in economic benefits.

“Saudi Arabia welcomes the BRICS leaders’ statement on the critical issue of land degradation as it reflects the increasing urgency to slow and ultimately reverse the trend of degrading land worldwide,” Deputy Minister for Environment at the Kingdom’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and Adviser to the COP16 Presidency Osama Faqeeha said. 

“At COP16 in Riyadh, we will work to forge new partnerships that can accelerate land restoration and drought resilience efforts, particularly in vulnerable regions. Land degradation, drought and desertification impact almost every corner of the planet, exacerbating forced migration and worsening global food and water insecurity. It is imperative the international community address the root causes of these issues at the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh,” Faqeeha added.

The upcoming UNCCD COP is anticipated to be the most extensive one yet, showcasing the inaugural Green Zone as a specialized hub for cooperation and creativity, with the goal of elevating the involvement of the private sector in land restoration efforts.

Earlier in October, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan led the Kingdom’s delegation at the BRICS Plus 2024 Summit in Kazan, Russia, on behalf of King Salman. 

Prince Faisal highlighted at the time that the volume of bilateral trade with the BRICS countries exceeded $196 billion in 2023, representing 37 percent of the Kingdom’s total foreign trade, underscoring the significant economic relationships driving the nation’s engagement with the bloc.

Saudi Arabia has not officially joined the bloc but participates in its activities as an invited nation.