RIYADH: Three new hotel management agreements were inked with international hotel brands to operate resorts in the first phase of development at The Red Sea destination, The Red Sea Development Co. confirmed on Wednesday. The announcement was made at the Future Hospitality Summit in Riyadh. These hotels include Ritz-Carlton Reserve and Miraval hotels – the first to operate in the Middle East – and Rosewood, a global luxury hospitality company. “This announcement demonstrates industry confidence in The Red Sea Project, with a total of 12 hospitality brands now confirmed, and signifies a growing appetite from global leaders to participate in the expansion of the Saudi Tourism market. With two brands now entering the region for the first time, I believe the future of tourism in the Kingdom is bright,” said John Pagano, CEO at TRSDC. Ritz-Carlton Reserve is situated at the destination’s idyllic Ummahat Islands, whilst Miraval and Rosewood are located on Shura Island, the main hub for the resort. The new collection of hospitality brands collectively features nearly 500 hotel keys of the total 3,000 planned for Phase One. “Together with our collection of globally recognized and respected partners, we are excited to play our part in opening up this unique and undiscovered part of the world, setting new benchmarks for sustainable development along the way,” Pagano said. A top executive from Marriott International also shared his thoughts with Arab News about the new deal. “Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve will offer a highly personalized leisure experience that blends intuitive and heartfelt service with stunning natural beauty and indigenous design. The resort will be surrounded by unspoiled natural beauty and designed to blend seamlessly with the environment,” Jerome Briet, chief development officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International told Arab News. He added: “We will work closely together with The Red Sea team to promote the overall destination, as well as Nujuma, which will be a destination in itself. This is also where the strength of Marriott’s distribution system, our channels and partners will play a key role. When it opens, the resort will also have access to a network of over 160 million members as part of our loyalty programme, Marriott Bonvoy, which Ritz-Carlton Reserve recently joined.” The posh hotel companies join a line-up of globally renowned brands that have already confirmed they will operate at The Red Sea, including: EDITION Hotels and St Regis Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International; Fairmont Hotel & Resorts, Raffles Hotels & Resorts and SLS Hotels & Residences, part of global hospitality group Accor; Grand Hyatt, part of Hyatt Hotels Corporation; Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts and Six Senses, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts; Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts The statement explained that The Red Sea has already passed significant milestones and work is on track to welcome the first guests in early 2023, when the first hotels will open. Phase one, which includes 16 hotels in total, will complete by the end of 2023. Upon completion in 2030, the project will comprise 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. The destination will also include an international airport, luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment, and leisure facilities.