Riyadh, 22 September 2023, The first flight to the Red Sea International Airport (RSI), which touched down on the new runway yesterday, was celebrated by Red Sea Global (RSG), the multi-project developer behind the two most ambitious regenerative tourism destinations in the world, The Red Sea Global and Amaala. The SAUDIA flight, which takes less than two hours and leaves from King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh every Thursday and Saturday, inaugurates a new twice-weekly service that includes the flight's return to Riyadh later that same day.
Saudi Arabia's position on the world tourism map is all but secured, according to John Pagano, Group CEO of Red Sea Global. "We promised to make The Red Sea a place where people from all around the world would come to experience the best of Saudi culture, hospitality, and nature. Now, with the first flight touching down at Red Sea International Airport and our first resorts receiving bookings, Saudi Arabia's position on the global tourism map is all but secured," he added. The planes will now leave RUH every Thursday at 10:50 a.m. before leaving RSI once more at 1:35 pm for the Kingdom's capital. Every Saturday at 12:50 p.m., a second service leaves RUH. The return flight to RUH leaves at 3:35 p.m.
With additional phase-one resorts opening their doors starting in 2019, RSI will expand to welcome international flights, placing it within an eight-hour flight of 85% of the world's population. Daa International, which has assisted Red Sea Global with the design validation and commissioning of RSI since 2020, runs Red Sea International Airport. The operational duty of Daa International starts with the arrival of the first commercial flight at RSI. In addition to welcoming its maiden flight on the same day, RSG also unveiled the new RSI brand. From the terminal of the airport and staff uniforms to the electric mobility vehicles that will take passengers from the air to the ground, visitors can anticipate seeing the brand expressed across a variety of touchpoints.
"RSI is the gateway to the Red Sea destination. It is visitors' first impression and their parting memory when they leave. The brand echoes the qualities of the five-star hospitality guests will enjoy across the destination," Pagano continued. The Red Sea International Airport's distinctive architecture is depicted by the brand insignia. The characteristic form was modeled after an aerial view of the airport's exterior. It was developed to convey the brand's originality, inventiveness, and sophistication in a modern and distinctive manner.
Red Sea Global has made tremendous progress on other infrastructure projects, in addition to the airport, to make sure that the Red Sea is prepared to welcome visitors and keep its commitments about responsible development and regenerative tourism. With more than 760,000 solar panels deployed, it has built the five solar farms required for The Red Sea's first phase to be completely off-grid and powered only by sunlight. More than four million trees, plants, and shrubs have been grown in the region's largest landscaping nursery. RSG built a cutting-edge mangrove nursery in July with the goal of planting 50 million mangroves by 2030.
The destination will have 50 resorts with up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties spread across 22 islands and six inland areas when it is fully developed in 2030. Additionally, there will be upscale marinas, golf courses, entertainment, F&B, and recreational facilities at the site.
