MUST-READS

• Saudi Arabia announces ‘active lifestyle’ area of Neom
  The “Norlana” area will contain space for 3,000 residents in 711 properties, two hotels and a 120-berth marina and club for superyachts. Among these properties will be mansions, apartments and villas built into sand dunes.
  There will also be an 18-hole golf course in the mountains, an equestrian and polo centre, as well as facilities for sailing and diving.
  Hong Kong architect 10 Design, which handled the concept design, said its aim was to make it appear as if Norlana’s buildings were growing out of mountains.

• The Bowery Company seeks Saudi market for its New York-Scandi style

  When Christiane Nasr strolled New York’s Bowery Avenue in 2014, she became fascinated with the neighborhood’s eclectic and industrial vibe. Nasr fell in love with furniture and lighting boutiques on Bowery Avenue and noticed a gap in the market in Dubai for this kind of design experience. After returning to the UAE, she took a leap of faith and decided to set up a company retailing curated interior design objects fusing New York’s industrial vibe with Scandinavian-style clean lines.

• Naga review: A Hollywood-style comedy-thriller, but a distinctly Saudi story

  Adwa Bader plays Sarah, a young Saudi woman who is given a strict curfew by her incredibly conservative father after she asks him if she can go shopping. But the shopping spree is a bluff and Sarah has different plans. Instead of perusing the stores around Riyadh, Sarah meets up for a secret rendezvous with her potential suitor Saad (Yazeed Almajyul). Saad tells Sarah he has an invitation to an underground party way out in the desert. Sarah can’t resist the allure and quickly agrees to go. But only if Saad promises to have her back by 10pm, which is when her father has insisted he’ll be outside the store to pick her up.

• How Saudi Arabia’s foreign players embraced the traditional style thobe

  As usual, Cristiano Ronaldo led the way, with the likes of Neymar, Steven Gerrard and Robbie Fowler not far behind. Amid the celebrations of Saudi National Day on Sept. 23, a number of foreign players and coaches from the Saudi Professional League celebrated the occasion by donning the Kingdom’s traditional thobe in videos and photos that quickly went viral on social media. Ronaldo and teammate Sadio Mane appeared in a video posted on Al-Nassr’s official account on X and similarly, former England captain and Ettifaq coach Gerrard showcased the Saudi look in a clip posted by his club.

• Inside Georgina Rodríguez’s glamorous new life in Saudi Arabia: Cristiano Ronaldo signed a multimillion-dollar Al Nassr deal, moved countries – and his partner is already a Gulf Kingdom style icon

  Enter 2023 and the family – Ronaldo, Rodríguez, their daughters Alana and Bella, as well as Cristiano Jr. (whose mother’s identity has never been revealed) and twins Eva and Mateo (who Ronaldo had with an American surrogate) all moved to Saudi Arabia.

• Hotel Intel: Saudi tourism boom sparks lifestyle evolution

  Tourism already is in high gear. The oil-rich kingdom welcomed a record 62 million visitors in 2021, half from outside the country. They came to experience Saudi’s six revered UNESCO archeological sites, wondrous modern architecture, holy cities and eye-popping hotels, all with backdrops of brilliant sunshine, striking desert landscapes and the beautiful waters of the Red Sea.

• F&B at Saudi Arabia’s Sindalah Island: ‘We’re doing it in our own style’

  “Additionally, we will build homegrown concepts. We’re working closely with the Culinary Arts Commission in Riyadh on this, as they are implementing some phenomenal initiatives in the culinary space, helping develop the next generation of future chefs. This is a cause that is close to our hearts at NEOM Hotel Development – we are laser-focused on encouraging vocational training among young Saudis.”

• Four Seasons and Red Sea Global to Introduce New Resort in Saudi Arabia’s Luxury Lifestyle Destination

  Soon to be one of the region's foremost luxury beachside destinations, The Red Sea will comprise of the idyllic natural islands and lagoons across 200 kilometres (124 miles) of coastline along the western coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, between the cities of Umluj and Al Wajh. The new Four Seasons Resort will be located on Shura Island, the hub of the development and also home to a yacht marina, leisure and lifestyle facilities, retail offerings, 18-hole golf course and more. "As we continue to expand Four Seasons presence in the region, our new project in the Red Sea will be one of our first resorts in the Kingdom, blending the best of beachside travel with the natural and cultural wonders of Saudi Arabia," says Bart Carnahan, President, Global Business Development and Portfolio Management. "We are incredibly proud to be part of this impressive and visionary development by RSG and look forward to inviting guests to explore our new Resort within such a beautiful and storied destination."

  • Al Arabiya - In pictures: Luxury hotel chain Four Seasons announces Saudi Red Sea resort
• Hyatt’s giga-project hotels in Saudi will push group further into lifestyle

  Hyatt Hotels has spoken of the importance of its Middle Eastern hotel pipeline. In particular, the group is honing in on Saudi Arabia, where it plans to grow its key count by 80 percent in just three years. Hyatt said the spike in demand for leisure has defined much of how it has grown in the Middle East. Properties such as Andaz Dubai The Palm, Hyatt Centric Jumeirah Dubai and Alila Hinu Bay in Oman, all reflect this shift.

• Hyatt’s giga-project hotels in Saudi will push group further into lifestyle

  Hyatt Hotels has spoken of the importance of its Middle Eastern hotel pipeline. In particular, the group is honing in on Saudi Arabia, where it plans to grow its key count by 80 percent in just three years. Hyatt said the spike in demand for leisure has defined much of how it has grown in the Middle East. Properties such as Andaz Dubai The Palm, Hyatt Centric Jumeirah Dubai and Alila Hinu Bay in Oman, all reflect this shift.

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