TRSDC signs EPC contract for Coastal Village project
The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind one of the world’s largest regenerative tourism projects, has awarded one of its largest value contracts to date for the engineering, procurement, and construction of an additional 40 apartment buildings at The Red Sea Project’s Coastal Village community development.
In a statement, the developer says that the contract was awarded to a local Saudi-owned firm, AlKifah Contracting Company, showcasing its commitment to supporting local businesses and strengthening the Saudi economy.
TRSDC explains that the 40 buildings will consist of single and double occupancy units, all located at the destination’s Coastal Village, which is a new-build town that will eventually become home to the 14,000 employees who will operate and maintain the destination when it opens its doors at the end of 2022.
“People are at the heart of this project and the Coastal Village will become the central hub for employees to live, work and relax. Designed around the latest concepts in co-working and community living, it will become a vibrant neighbourhood for residents, plus their family members and visitors,” says John Pagano, CEO of TRSDC.
As part of the company’s commitment to sustainability, it says that AlKifah will use precast concrete panels which will be prepared at a new dedicated precast manufacturing facility being built within the project area. This will not only help localise jobs, but it will reduce the site’s carbon footprint by avoiding approximately 10 million kilometres of transportation, which will save tons of CO2, it explains.
“The beauty of this agreement is that all 40 of the residential apartment buildings will utilise elements of offsite manufacturing and prefabrication techniques,” adds Pagano. “These approaches enhance efficiency, quality and safety, while reducing the number of construction workers needed on-site to minimise our environmental footprint during construction.”
Furthermore, in addition to offsite manufacturing, TRSDC says that it will be utilising ‘eco-friendly, sustainable, ‘green’ concrete onsite to minimise emissions throughout the construction process.
“These apartment buildings will combine an eco-friendly design with a high-quality finish, supporting The Red Sea Project’s ambition to become a premier tourist destination, which will have a net-conservation benefit on the natural environment,” said Osama AlAfaleq, chairman of AlKifah Contracting Company.
“With the destination set to begin welcoming guests in less than two years, the efficient delivery of these units is key to guaranteeing that comfortable homes are available to the employees needed to operate the destination. Our approach to using off-site manufacturing will ensure we meet the tight timelines ahead of us,” he added.
The 1.5 million sqm Coastal Village area includes management offices, villas, townhouses and apartments, and 144-room hotel. Set in a prime location on the waterfront, the community will offer a range of amenities such as hospitals, schools and leisure facilities including fitness centres, beach clubs and dining outlets.
In a bid to further minimise the environmental footprint at the site, the Coastal Village housing will initially be utilised to house the workers building the destination. This eliminates the need to build extra accommodation for these workers which would later have to be demolished, adding another layer of efficiency to the plans.
Significant progress has already been made at the Coastal Village, all of which meets TRSDC’s stringent environmental standards. The first 10 residential buildings and the construction of a new corporate office building are nearing completion.
These first elements of the community are set to open by the end of the first quarter of 2021 and will be home to TRSDC staff overseeing the construction of the destination, closely followed by the management hotel which will welcome its first guests in the second quarter.
The Red Sea Project also recently celebrated a significant milestone of signing more than 500 contracts to date, with a total worth of more than £2.38 billion. Although the winning bidders came form 24 countries, over 70 percent of the total value of construction contracts have been awarded to Saudi firms, reinforcing TRSDC’s commitment to the local economy.
In November, TRSDC awarded its highest-value contract to date to a consortium led by ACWA Power to design, build, operate and transfer The Red Sea Project’s utilities infrastructure. The PPP agreement will deliver 100 percent renewable energy for the first phase of the project and includes the construction of the world’s largest battery storage farm.
Work is on track to welcome the first guests by end of 2022, when the international airport and first four hotels will open. The remaining 12 hotels in Phase One will open in 2023, delivering 3,000 rooms across five islands and two inland resorts, the statement adds.
