DUBAI: Switzerland-based luxury healthcare resort Clinique La Prairie is set to open in Saudi Arabia’s Amaala wellness retreat next year, with CEO Simone Gibertoni telling Arab News “personalization is fundamental.” For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle With just 50 rooms, the healthcare resort will offer guests a holistic approach to health and wellness, combining evidence-based medicine with unique well-being, nutrition and movement plans, according to its website. “If you want to be really personalized, you need to cater (for) a very small number of clients,” Gibertoni explained, adding: “Another very important point for me is always to underline the fact that our role is not just to give information, but to change people … intervention must be focused and must be very personalized.” While the Swiss flagship boasts picturesque views and state of the art facilities, he insists: “The view of the lake is not enough, the nice food is not enough … there must be this idea that you feel better, you feel (like) a kind of new person and that’s why people are coming back.” The Red Sea resort is not the first outside Switzerland; Clinique La Prairie Anji, on a tea plantation 180km west of Shanghai, China, opened its doors in 2024. Meanwhile, Dubai’s One & Only One Za’abeel hotel is home to a Clinique La Prairie Longevity Hub, billed as a day center rather than a resort-style experience. When it comes to why the brand selected Saudi Arabia for such an investment, Gibertoni pointed to an alignment in healthcare philosophies. “For such a big investment in Saudi, we are going to have only 50 rooms. In China, it’s another huge investment and we have only 29 rooms. It’s not easy to find the developer which is able to accept our philosophy and this is happening in Saudi Arabia,” he said. The CEO also referred to long-term clients from the Gulf who have travelled to the European clinic for decades. The lure of a hub a little closer to home could be another reason for the brand’s latest venture. Located on Saudi Arabia’s north-western coast, the Amaala resort will feature 30 brands, with Clinique La Prairie billed as one of the anchor offerings. Last week, Gibertoni was in Dubai to announce the Longevity Fund, an endeavor to identify companies that “revolutionize the landscape of aging, health, and wellbeing.” The fund will focus on driving science-based advancements in longevity under four banners — medical care, nutrition, movement and well-being. Gibertoni explained: “Whenever there is a company with an innovation which is on the way to be ready for the market, this company always approaches us. So our question was ‘how can we be more impactful and not only introduce this technology to Clinique La Prairie … but can we also help this company to grow?”