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Sea change ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF THE RED SEA DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
Ian Williamson is responsible for delivering the vast Red Sea Project. He tells Rod Sweet why worker welfare and technical innovation are central to his construction planning
hen complete in 2030, The Red Sea Project will comprise 50 resorts on Saudi Arabia’s pristine Red Sea coast, including some 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. Complete with its own international airport, the scheme will include luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment and leisure facilities. Work is on track to welcome the first guests by the end of 2022, when the first hotels will open. Phase one, which includes 16 hotels, will complete at the end of 2023. “Progress at The Red Sea Project has been continuous; with plans laid
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to welcome guests by the end of this year, slowing down has not been an option,” explains Ian Williamson, chief projects delivery officer for The Red Sea Development Company. “One of the key routes to achieving speed while not sacrificing quality has been our willingness to be flexible. We’re attempting something that has never been achieved before, so there is no established road to follow. The process has required calculated risk taking, but on countdown to welcoming our first guests, it’s an approach that has proven considerate construction can happen at pace.” Building a luxury destination in a remote location poses many interesting challenges, one of
The Red Sea Project on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast is made up of 50 resorts on both island and inland sites Inland, luxury accommodation will be integrated into the dramatic desert landscape The Red Sea Project aims to become a top global luxury tourist destination
them worker welfare – which Williamson is uncompromising on. “Our main priority is the wellbeing of our workforce – keeping our workforce safe in close proximity to the site,” he says. The company has established a ‘Basecamp’, providing a home and HQ for onsite personnel and a construction village with housing for 10,000 workers. “To ensure we had a happy and healthy team, in the best possible position to deliver on our vision and ambitious timeline, we made the choice to set a new benchmark in employee living conditions,” he adds. “We provide privacy, personal safes for belongings, computers for
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