EXCLUSIVE: AMAALA’s nine hotels set for Q3 2026 completion, Red Sea Global executive reveals

Saudi Arabia’s ultra-luxury wellness destination AMAALA will complete its first phase featuring nine hotels and nearly 800 rooms by the end of the third quarter of 2026, marking a critical milestone in the Kingdom’s ambition to establish world-class tourism infrastructure along its Red Sea coastline.

Stephen Cheeseborough, head of development at Red Sea Global, revealed the specific timeline in an exclusive interview with Arabian Business, providing the first concrete completion date for a project that has been closely watched by investors and hospitality operators since its 2018 announcement.

“The nine hotels are going to be completed by the end of Q3 2026, so that’s a significant offering,” Cheeseborough said, adding that the Triple Bay development will feature just under 800 hotel rooms alongside 350 residential assets spanning approximately 12 kilometers of coastline.

Red Sea Global defines AMAALA milestones

The disclosure offers substantial clarity on AMAALA’s development trajectory following Red Sea Global’s November announcement that the destination would welcome guests “in the coming months.” While the company confirmed six resorts will open in the initial wave with three following, the September 2026 target provides developers, operators and investors with a definitive endpoint for phase one construction.

The timeline also positions AMAALA to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 tourism targets which aim to attract 150 million visitors annually and generate tourism revenue equivalent to 10 per cent of GDP by the end of the decade.

Cheeseborough who joined Red Sea Global in 2018 and has overseen the development of both flagship projects, emphasised that Amaala’s wellness-focused positioning creates a complementary offering to the company’s Red Sea Project which currently operates eight hotels and will expand to 16 by June 2026.

“When you aggregate both of them, whilst each of them, in their own right, are world-class tourist destinations that will drive a lot of visitation, you can start to create an exciting sort of circuit for either residents or transient guests,” he said.

The Red Sea Project, built across an archipelago of islands, offers barefoot luxury and relaxed island living while AMAALA is anchored by medical and integrative wellness offerings set against a dramatic mountainous coastline.

“When you look at Red Sea, with the sort of low-lying islands, the barefoot sort of luxury, relaxed Island lifestyle to what we now have in AMAALA anchored by wellness and this coastline, dramatic coastline, it really is when you aggregate both of them genuinely world class,” Cheeseborough said.

AMAALA’s hotel lineup

The hotel portfolio at AMAALA represents one of the most concentrated assemblies of luxury hospitality brands in the Middle East featuring properties from Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Six Senses and Rosewood, alongside Equinox’s first hotel in the region and beach club operator Nammos.

The centerpiece of the wellness offering is Clinique La Prairie, the Swiss medical wellness operator making its first foray into branded residences in its 110-year history. The property, designed by minimalist architect John Pawson, will feature comprehensive medical wellness programming alongside 13 residences.

“To bring a brand like Clinique La Prairie to Saudi Arabia speaks volumes to what we’re about as a destination, and how they see our destination and the potential of the Saudi GCC market,” Cheeseborough said.

Each hotel has been strategically positioned to serve different guest segments and lifestyle preferences. The marina district, anchored by Nammos beach club will house properties targeting a younger, more social demographic including Equinox which emphasises fitness and wellness. The Ritz-Carlton will cater to traditional luxury travellers and destination weddings.

Six Senses occupies an intimate cove with mangroves offering a more secluded experience while Rosewood commands two kilometers of coastline on a private headland. Four Seasons sits on a large bay with extensive beachfrontage in what Cheeseborough described as a more resort-style configuration.

Red Sea Global’s luxury vision

AMAALA is firmly positioned at the luxury end of Saudi Arabia’s expanding tourism market, with residential offerings ranging from SAR4.5 million apartments to villas priced up to SAR400 million, a price point Cheeseborough said reflects the destination’s target demographic of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth buyers.

“There’s a wide array of projects taking place in the kingdom that are at different price points. AMAALA is squarely in the luxury end of the market, and that’s why we’ve brought in brands like Clinique La Prairie and Rosewood,” he said.

The destination will be primarily serviced through AlUla airport located approximately 45 minutes away by road with transfers available by car or shuttle. Guests will also have the option to arrive via Red Sea International Airport which is already operational.

Red Sea Global has stated that future phases of AMAALA will be calibrated based on market absorption of the initial supply, though specific timelines for subsequent phases have not been disclosed.