The ACWA Power consortium is financed by Saudi and international banks, including the UK’s Standard Chartered Bank and China’s Silk Road Fund, and marks a new stage for the development, in terms of securing external investment.
The contract was procured as an independent public-private partnership (PPP), intended to cover the design, construction and operation of the systems providing utilities, accompanied by the associated networks and infrastructure.
The Red Sea Project is not investing any of its own capital and is instead committing to purchase its utilities from the consortium for the next 25 years.
“With the largest battery storage facility in the world in place, we can guarantee that the development is 100 percent powered by renewable energy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, an accomplishment which has never been achieved on a project of this scale before. This approach requires entirely new utilities infrastructure, and so a PPP contract makes sense as it ensures high quality, affordable utilities for us and a sound return on the investment for our backers,” said Mr. Pagano.
The Red Sea Project has already surpassed significant milestones and work remains on track to welcome the first guests by the end of 2022, when the international airport and the first four hotels will open. The remaining 12 hotels scheduled for completion in Phase One will open in 2023, delivering a total of 3,000 rooms across five islands and two inland resorts.
Upon completion in 2030, there will be 50 hotels, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms, and around 1,300 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites.
