DUBAI: The Red Sea Development Co. (TRSDC), the tourism developer wholly owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), is investigating how it can develop clean transport solutions, such as using electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, boats and aircraft, ahead of its official opening in 2022.
TRSDC has signed a contract with engineering firm Mott MacDonald to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the total land, sea and air transport requirements at its 28,000 square meter site. The mobility models will include e-bikes, golf buggies, cars, vans, trucks, buses, seaplanes, helicopters, passenger ferries and boats, all fuelled using sustain energy sources.
The Red Sea Project was announced by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in July 2017. Eleemnts of the first phase of the flagship project are due to open in 2022, with full completion in 2030.
“We believe that environmental regeneration and commercial development do not have to be mutually exclusive. Our destination is one of extraordinary natural beauty, which we have a responsibility to protect and enhance for future generations,” John Pagano, CEO of TRSDC, said in a press statement.
Mott MacDonald will assess the infrastructure requirements for the project, such as electric and hydrogen-powered vehicle charging stations, in line with TRSDC’s goal to be powered 100 percent by renewable energy.
Construction at the project site is well underway and the developer recently announced it had awarded approximately 500 contracts valued at SR12 billion ($3.19 billion) to date and will reach SR15 billion by the end of 2020.
In 2022, when the first guests are welcomed to the resort, there will be four hotels initially, with 12 more scheduled to open their doors before 2023, bringing the total number of hotel rooms to 3,000 across five islands and two inland resorts.
Upon full completion in 2030, the project will comprise 50 hotels offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and 1,300 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites.
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