Red Sea, Amaala seen to host 450,000 visitors p.a. upon 1st phase launch: Pagano

John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea International Co.

Red Sea Global CEO John Pagano expects 350,000 visitors per year at the opening of the first phase of the Red Sea project, in addition to 100,000 others in the Amaala project, by the end of next year.

In an interview with Al Arabiya TV, Pagano stated that growth is slow in the first year of operation, especially with the opening of only three resorts with a capacity of 250 rooms.

Currently, three resorts are operational as part of the soft opening phase, with the Six Senses resort already receiving guests, the CEO said, announcing that reservations are now open for both the St. Regis and Six Senses resorts.

Pagano added that the first guests will start arriving at the Six Senses resort by the end of October, followed by St. Regis resort in November or December, and the Ritz-Carlton resort by next year.

The CEO expects the number of flights to the new Red Sea airport to reach five per week this month, mostly from Riyadh and Jeddah. Flights from Dubai will be launched later this year.

The number of international flights is predicted to rise upon completion of the project’s first phase, which will include 16 hotels and 3,000 hotel rooms.

Pagano forecasts increased private sector participation in the project, given the surge in tourism projects in the Kingdom and the sector's growing experience in the field.

On Oct. 9, Red Sea Global announced the opening of the first phase of the Red Sea destination and the start of receiving visitors from all over the world, according to data available on Argaam.

Pagano recently said he expects the completion of 13 resorts in the Red Sea and eight resorts in Amaala by the end of next year, as planned. This is in preparation for their start of operation at the beginning of 2025.