Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind Amaala and The Red Sea, has partnered with French utility firm EDF and clean energy company Masdar to establish a 25-year concession agreement for a multi-utilities infrastructure facility serving the Amaala destination. Similar to The Red Sea, Amaala will rely entirely on solar energy, reducing CO2 emissions by nearly half a million tons annually.
The facility comprises an optimized off-grid renewable energy system, battery energy storage, a desalination plant, and a wastewater treatment plant, all powered by renewables.
John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea Global, expressed the project’s sustainability focus and its goal of achieving a zero-carbon footprint when fully operational, following the model of The Red Sea, where five solar farms were recently completed.
Amaala’s renewable system can generate up to 410,000 MWh per year, including a 700 MWh battery storage facility for continuous renewable power and a 37 million-liter-per-day water desalination plant using reverse osmosis technology.
The contract follows a public-private partnership model and covers the design, construction, and operation of utility systems and related infrastructure. EDF’s Béatrice Buffon emphasized EDF’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 and the project’s significance in delivering carbon-free electricity and water around the clock.
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, highlighted the project’s innovative solutions, including solar, battery storage, and desalination, and its contribution to sustainable economic development in Amaala.
The utility concession agreement spans 25 years, with extension options, and encompasses financing, engineering, development, construction, operation, maintenance, and transfer of the infrastructure facility.
Phase One of Amaala, the Triple Bay masterplan, is set to welcome its first guests in early 2025. The destination will feature over 3,900 hotel rooms, high-end residences, retail establishments, fine dining, wellness facilities, and more, catering to both visitors and the community of over 15,000 people who will live and work in Amaala upon completion.
