Saudi Arabia to host the region's first Ritz-Carlton Reserve hotel

Nujuma will offer 63 luxury villas when it opens within The Red Sea project in 2023

When it opens in 2023, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, will form part of The Red Sea Project. Photo: Marriott International

Marriott's Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand will make its debut in the Middle East with a property off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

When it opens in 2023, Nujuma will form part of The Red Sea Project, a mega-development taking shape off the west coast.

Blending indigenous design and highly personalised services, Nujuma joins an exclusive collection of five Ritz-Carlton Reserves worldwide. It will be located on a collection of pristine private islands in the Red Sea’s Blue Hole atoll.

Accommodation will be offered in 63 one- to four-bedroom water and beach villas, complemented by a spa, swimming pools, multiple culinary venues, a retail area and a range of other leisure facilities, including a conservation centre.

The property will also offer 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,” said Jerome Briet, chief development officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International.

“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 personalised luxury escape.”

Reserve properties are found in Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

“I am excited to welcome Ritz-Carlton Reserve into the fold of our luxury collection of brands for The Red Sea,” says John Pagano, chief executive at The Red Sea Development Company.

“Around the world, Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties are synonymous with providing unique luxury experiences and creating personalised 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.”

The Red Sea Project is a tourism venture covering 28,000 square kilometres, of which less than one per cent will be developed. It encapsulates 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.

All the hotels opening at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea — in pictures: