RIYADH: The launch of a major new resort project was inaugurated by Prince Saud bin Talal bin Badr, governor of Al-Ahsa, as he laid the foundation stone to mark the start of its construction on Wednesday evening.
Various officials from government entities, investors, and representatives from Al-Ahsa Development Authority and the Tourism Fund attended the ceremony for the Dusit D2 Al-Ahsa resort.
Spanning over 77,000 square meters, it will be located in Al-Ahsa Oasis, which is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It will include 120 luxury hotel units and amenities such as an artificial lake, a health club, restaurants, a cultural center, nature trails, and recreational areas.
The resort will partly operate using solar energy and have electric internal transport, water treatment, and low-carbon building materials.
A SR60 million ($15.995 million) project was also implemented to upgrade the water system in the region ahead of tourist season.
Prince Saud expressed pride at the rapid growth of high-quality tourism projects in Al-Ahsa, all of which strengthen its status as an attractive tourist destination in the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
He added that these projects contribute to diversifying income sources and increasing the tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy, in alignment with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
The support and care that Al-Ahsa and its development projects receive from the Kingdom’s leadership help empower the private sector and encourage investments across various fields, the prince added.
The importance of supporting and enabling the private sector and creating a fruitful investment environment — one that prompts innovative initiatives and provides job opportunities for the people of the governorate — was also highlighted.
The ceremony included the signing of management and operation agreements with the Thai company Dusit, which will operate the resort once it is completed, SPA reported.
Naif bin Abdullah Al-Madhi, CEO of the Business Sector and Tourism Development Fund, spoke of the necessity to embolden projects that reflect the diversity of the Saudi identity and contribute to making unique experiences for tourists that showcase local culture and heritage.
Al-Madhi described the resort as a model for utilizing local environmental resources to offer a complete hospitality experience that highlights agricultural and cultural tourism, especially in a region with the largest palm oasis in the world.
Bassem Al-Ghadeer, chairman of Al-Ghadeer Group, which owns the project, expressed his thanks and appreciation to the governor for his support of the development.
