How Our People Choose Purpose Everyday

By Ahmad Darwish, Chief Administrative Officer at The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC)

The world’s most inspirational companies think, act, and communicate in line with their purpose from the inside out – it is in the DNA of every decision. At The Red Sea Development Company, our purpose is to enhance the environment that we are developing, and to regenerate for future generations. To do this, we must push the boundaries in everything we do so that we can set new standards in regenerative tourism. We know that this will provide the foundations of unforgettable experiences for the guests who will come to our site. We also hope that it will set a world-leading precedent.

Our DNA
In late 2019, The Red Sea Development Company planned an explorative site visit to take the entire office team to the western coast of the Red Sea Project. I was so pleased to be able to show our team the opportunities that the destination presented and let them experience it first-hand. Staff could see our beautiful lagoon, with its pristine expanse of clear blue water stretching over 2000 square kilometers, the thriving coral reefs dotted between over 90 untouched islands, the lush mangroves that are home to a multitude of marine life, and the creatures that make up the destination’s delicate ecosystems. The trip provided an opportunity for everyone to immerse themselves in the land and to better understand its unique characteristics. 

This trip also achieved something very special – it embedded the drive to protect and regenerate this area into the hearts and minds of the team at The Red Sea Development Company. While exploring the inland areas of the Southern Dunes and Desert Rock in particular, it was so remote and peaceful that the silence was almost spiritual. That moment of clarity gave us all the inspiration to see what the future of the Red Sea Project could be. 

Going Beyond Our Walls
As the first employee in 2016, I have watched with pride as we have created a family here at The Red Sea Development Company. Family means going the extra mile for one another, being united by common goals and caring about our future together. It has been heartwarming to see how colleagues look out for one another, a quality that became apparent in the wake of the pandemic. This approach not only feeds into our internal culture but also informs how we reach out to young Saudis and local communities, who are in turn attracted to our dynamic. What we really care about is ensuring that this clarity and inspiration isn’t only felt by our employees at HQ and onsite but by all Saudis - so that we can all feel a sense of investment, responsibility and pride in what we are achieving as a nation.  

In my role as Chief Administrative Officer, I am excited to continue inspiring Saudis both within and without our organization to recognize the incredible scale of our vision, and to see their contributions as fundamental to its realization. The Red Sea Project really is an iceberg of which many people only see the tip. Underneath the very tangible development progress we continue to make, there is a hive of activity that contributes. Our people are the very essence of that.