RIYADH — The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind one of the world’s most sustainable tourism projects, has announced the launch of a design competition for Saudi architecture students. The winning entrant’s proposal will be considered as a concept for the destination. As part of its efforts to engage young talent from within the Kingdom, the business is inviting Saudi Arabia’s brightest architecture students to submit designs for a state-of-the-art community center to be located at The Red Sea Project’s exclusive Coastal Village. “In line with Saudi Vision 2030, creating opportunities and a culture of high performance for a new generation of Saudis is an important value to us at The Red Sea Project,” said John Pagano, CEO of The Red Sea Development Company. “With project development gaining pace, we want to ensure that Saudi Arabia’s youngest and brightest talents differentiate themselves by playing a role in shaping the design of the destination. As we launch this new competition, we are excited to provide a unique platform for Saudi’s creative young designers to contribute their expertise to this international project.” TRSDC is developing Saudi Arabia’s flagship international tourism destination and setting new standards in sustainable development. Its sustainability targets include a 100 percent reliance on renewable energy, a total ban on single-use plastics, and complete carbon neutrality in the destination’s operations. Students from Saudi universities are being invited to propose eco-friendly designs and architectural renderings that complement the area’s natural environment and historical value, whilst supporting the project’s wider commitments to sustainable development. With competition winners set to be selected in October 2020, the winning designer will have the opportunity to play a part in the creation of Saudi Arabia’s world-leading tourism destination. The judging panel will comprise of internal experts from our team, covering the fields of design, construction and development. Submissions will be judged based on creativity, out-of-the-box architectural and engineering ideas and concepts, integration of smart tech solutions, maturity of designs, functionality, constructability, authenticity, environmental considerations, background research and fulfillment of requirements. The Coastal Village development, which is already under way, will eventually be home to the destination’s first 14,000 employees when it opens its first phase in 2022, as well as for the 25,000 construction workers building the destination. The community center will sit at the heart of the development, providing a range of services for workers and their families. In addition, the Coastal Village will also include a community library, childcare facilities, a gymnasium, and a mosque for worshipers. This competition is one of several initiatives already launched by TRSDC to create opportunities for Saudi talent. Most recently, the organization launched a program in collaboration with Umluj Municipality, the University of Tabuk, and Sakan, a local NGO, to provide members of the communities of Umluj and Al Wajh with training and jobs within the organization. This initiative has already resulted in the training and hiring of 45 new employees at the site landscaping nursery. Similar initiatives also included providing 120 scholarships for Saudi students, to pursue a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Hospitality Management in cooperation with Prince Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz University and accredited by Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL). The company also hired 31 graduates from across the Kingdom as part of the Elite Graduate Program at the start of the year. TRSDC is inviting applications for the design competition from July 27 until Aug. 22, 2020. For further details of the competition and how to enter, please visit: www.theredsea.sa/ecotecture. — SG