Saudi Arabia’s NEOM has unveiled the opening of Sindalah, the first of the futuristic megacity’s luxury tourism destinations to be completed by the Kingdom.
In a statement by NEOM on Sunday, it announced the opening of Sindalah as the “first physical showcase” that “will serve as NEOM’s gateway to the Red Sea, providing easy access for European, Saudi and GCC yacht owners.”
In a statement by NEOM’s CEO, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, he emphasised that “NEOM is committed to supporting the Kingdom’s new era of luxury tourism, with the opening of Sindalah”, adding that “NEOM’s inaugural destination offers visitors a ‘first glimpse’ of what the future holds for our extensive portfolio of destinations and developments.”
The island’s amenities include luxury hotels and resorts, fine dining locations and a variety of entertainment and social zones. With Sindalah “spread over 840,000 square meters”, the destination will be set to receive “up to 2,400 guests per day by 2028”, and the first wave of guests have reportedly been invited and welcomed to Sindalah to experience the “island’s allure”.
Sindalah’s opening comes approximately two years after the project was first announced by Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, as a key part of NEOM and the Kingdom’s wider Vision 2030. The project is the first to be completed until now, and comes at a time when the Saudi government has recently had to significantly scale down some of its other NEOM projects – such as The Line – amid a reported shortage of investments and funding.