The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) has announced the awarding of a contract for finalising the designs of its Coastal Village community centre to a joint venture Saudi Arabia team.
In a statement, TRSDC said that the contract was awarded to Saudi firms Talal Kurdi Consultants (TKC) and Focal Building Solutions (FBS), showcasing TRSDC’s commitment to supporting local businesses and strengthening the Saudi economy.
“We were impressed by the high quality of the offered tender which showed a profound understanding of the local culture and met TRSDC’s exacting standards, particularly in the area of sustainability,” he added.
Executive Director of TKC, Tarek Talal Kurdi explained: “TRSDC’s high standards encouraged and motivated us to showcase the advanced abilities that we as a Saudi firm possess. Following TRSDC’s vision and utilizing our passion for design and innovation, we believe that this project will introduce a new inspiring visual, physical and lifestyle experience.”
Sara A. Batterjee, Founder and General Manager of FBS also commented on the award: “This project is very special to us as it falls in the western region along the Red Sea Coast where our head office is located. We feel proud to be part of the development happening in this part of Saudi, where we have a deep understanding of the culture and the hidden treasures located there.”
The contract was awarded after a competitive tendering process, which saw five other Saudi boutique architectural firms including Azaz Architects, Clear Studios, M3N Design + Architecture, and M. Suqer & M. Albahkali Engineering Consulting Co. on the shortlist, demonstrating the strong interest from the Saudi private sector to be a part of key Vision 2030 projects.
The state-of-the-art community center was designed by Naif Alghanamm from King Saud University, the winner of TRSDC’s Ecotecture Design Competition. As part of its efforts to engage young talent from within the Kingdom, TRSDC invited Saudi ‘s brightest architecture students to submit designs for the center. The Ecotecture Design Competition received over 600 entries.
“Creating opportunities and fostering a culture of high performance for younger Saudis is an important pillar for us and underpins our commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030”, added Pagano.
TRSDC has awarded to date more than 500 contracts to international and local firms. Collectively worth around SAR 17 billion ($4.5bn), over 70 percent of these contracts were awarded to Saudi companies.
The Red Sea Project has already passed significant milestones and work is on track to welcome the first guests by the end of 2022, when the international airport and the first hotels will open. Phase one, which includes 16 hotels in total, will complete in 2023.
Upon completion in 2030, The Red Sea Project will comprise 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. The destination will also include luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment and leisure facilities.