RIYADH: Dubai-based ecolodge brand ENVI Lodges and Al Rasim Hotels & Resorts announced plans to develop a waterfront ecolodge project on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Future Hospitality Summit, ENVI co-founder Noelle Homsy told Arab News that the project was focused on operating luxury ecolodges in remote destinations that would allow guests to disconnect from their daily lives back in the cities.
The lodge will be made of approximately 40 modular pods, prefabricated and transported to the site. They will be installed on individual decks, lowering the impact on the environment and minimizing any disturbance on the site.
“We specialize in eco pods and tents and follow very high sustainability standards,” said Homsy.
The agreement was signed between Aiad Mushaikh, managing director of Al Rasim Hotels & Resorts, and Chris Nader and Noelle Homsy, co-founders of ENVI, in the presence of Jonathan Worsley, chairman of The Bench, the organizer of FHS.
“We are very excited to bring the ENVI Lodges brand to the booming market of Saudi Arabia,” said Mushaikh upon signing the agreement.
“We want to invest in unique hospitality projects and develop immersive lodges that offer both domestic travelers and international tourists the opportunity to discover the natural beauty of the Kingdom. As a Saudi company, we want to contribute to the implementation of the Saudi tourism strategy through investing in high-end tourism project. ENVI’s proposition and approach to hospitality is exactly what we were looking for, and this project will become a reference forexperiential lodging on the shores of the Red Sea.”
The project will adhere to ENVI’s thorough sustainability standards vetted by Beyond Green, the sustainability alliance that ENVI follows.
Saudi Arabia is stepping up its efforts to become the vanguard of a UN pledge to develop a sustainable model of tourism after the sector’s levels of resilience were pushed to breaking point by the pandemic and new dire warnings of tourism’s environmental footprint emerged.
Scientists have said CO2 emissions from tourism will increase by 25 percent by 2030 compared to 2016 levels, which if left unaddressed could be a bullet for the sector as visitors begin to factor in the impact, and morality, of climate change on their destination choices.
The lodge facilities will include a restaurant, a beach club, private pools, an experience hub, a wellness sanctuary and a kids club. The lodging is expected to open by mid-2023.
“The property will be on the Red Sea with 40 keys and will offer a memorable guest experience,” she added.
The company is also looking at a few other projects in the Kingdom and will announce them soon.