Construction on Red Sea Project’s Construction Village Begins

In a first for the Saudi construction industry, developers behind the Red Sea Tourism project have broken ground on the new village that will house the workers responsible for building the hotels and villas on the country’s pristine western coast between now and 2030.

The ‘Construction Village’ will largely be built using prefabricated and modular elements and is hoped will serve as a benchmark for construction worker accommodation in the region. In line with the Red Sea megaproject’s conservation agenda, the use of prefabricated assembly will permit developers to reduce not only waste, but also refuse disposal and staffing numbers on site.

“Our Construction Village is an important element of the Phase One development. In order to continue with the rate of progress we’ve seen to date, we must first and foremost ensure that our workers are healthy, happy and safe,” said The Red Sea Development Company’s (TRSDC) Chief Executive, John Pagano.

Phase One is anticipated to be completed by 2023. It will see the unveiling of 16 hotels and 3,000 rooms on five islands and two inland resorts, as well as retail, commercial and leisure facilities. By 2030, the ambitious luxury tourism project would see the completion of 50 hotels and around 1,300 residential properties on 22 islands and six inland sites, encompassing a total area of some 28,000 sq. km. The mega resort would also have its own international airport, designed by the UK firm Foster + Partners.

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) responsible for the remote housing facility stated that facilities on the site go above and beyond International Finance Corporation guidelines for comfort and safety.
Under the stewardship of the Public Investment Fund, The Red Sea Development Company announced recently that it had awarded contracts to two Saudi firms to manage the pre-fab construction villages. One of the awarded firms, Red Sea International, released a statement committing itself to making the project site a safe and enjoyable place to work, and to create a sense of community through the delivery of reliable services. Each firm will be responsible for maintaining the positive living conditions within the village by ensuring round the clock security, total Wi-Fi connectivity throughout and laundry services for a work force of up to 5,000.

Access to a number of leisure and sporting facilities within the housing complex are available for use during down time by the site’s residents. These include cricket and football pitches, volleyball and basketball courts as well as gyms and cinemas.

In an effort to double down on the progressive steps taken, The Red Sea Development Company is keen to partner with firms specializing in off-site manufacturing and assembly.

With Vision 2030’s sustainability goals clearly outlined, the forging of associations and further development of industry solutions gives companies within the Kingdom plenty of opportunity to construct fiscally and environmentally responsible projects that meet the standards of quality expected.