Neom has appointed the local contractor Source Machinery to carry out enabling works on Shusha Island. The contract award is part of a framework for constructing infrastructure on 12 islands at Neom.

Located off the kingdom's Red Sea coast, Shusha Island will include the world’s largest coral garden, a marina, hotels, villas, a beach club, a museum and a research centre.

MEED previously reported that Neom had appointed Greek contractor Archirodon to carry out the early infrastructure works on Shusha Island.

In August, Neom briefed contractors on its development plan for Shusha Island. The meeting was attended by several local and international contractors.

Shusha Island masterplan

Spanish consultant Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura is the design consultant and US-based Aecom is the project management consultant. Under the proposed masterplan, the Shusha Island assets are divided into three packages known as GC1, GC2 and GC3.

GC1

GC1 consists of three assets. They are Hipe Tower, Grotto Entrance and Sunset Pools.

Hipe Tower is a 190-metre-tall structure with a built-up area of about 50,000 square metres.

Grotto Entrance is a 65-metre-high, fully excavated cave inside the island’s cliffs that opens through the sea and reaches the top of Hipe Tower.

The Sunset Pools are large pools built on the edge of the development overlooking the Red Sea.

GC2

GC2 includes the Village Cluster, the museum and research centre, Marina Dive Boutique Resort and a utility hub. 

The village consists of residential units, retail facilities, support facilities for King Abdullah University of Science & Technology and a canopy. 

Marina Dive Boutique Resort will have about 59 rooms, as well as retail and food and beverage (F&B) facilities.

GC3

GC3 includes the Canyon, Mindfulness Hotel and a beach club, as well as landscaping, villas and utilities.

The Canyon will be a recreational hub offering kayaking, rafting, climbing, ziplining, vertical drops and paddle boarding.

The Mindfulness Hotel, also known as the Mindfulness Boutique Resort, will have about 55 hotel rooms as well as retail and F&B facilities.

Oil production cuts trim public sector growth, but private sector thrives

*=Year-to-date | Sources: IMF, MEED Projects, MEED

MEED’s October 2023 special report on Saudi Arabia includes: 

> COMMENT: Riyadh reshapes its global role
> POLITICS: Saudi Arabia looks both east and west
> SPORT: Saudi Arabia’s football vision goes global
> ECONOMY: Riyadh prioritises stability over headline growth
> BANKS: Saudi banks track more modest growth path
> UPSTREAM: Aramco focuses on upstream capacity building
> DOWNSTREAM: Saudi chemical and downstream projects in motion
> POWER: Riyadh rides power projects surge
> WATER: Saudi water projects momentum holds steady
> GIGAPROJECTS: Gigaproject activity enters full swing
> TRANSPORT: Infrastructure projects support Riyadh’s logistics ambitions
> JEDDAH TOWER: Jeddah developer restarts world’s tallest tower