Fairmont The Red Sea

Overview

Fairmont The Red Sea is a luxury resort located on the western side of Shura Island, the centrepiece of Red Sea Global's flagship destination on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. Designed by Foster + Partners as part of the Coral Bloom masterplan, the resort embraces the island's beaches, lagoons and mangrove habitats to create a low-density hospitality destination where architecture and landscape are experienced as one.

Dewan Architects + Engineers served as Executive Architect, transforming the design vision into a coordinated and technically resolved project. The firm's role included design development, multidisciplinary coordination and the preparation of construction documentation while maintaining the architectural intent established by Foster + Partners.

Project Vision

The vision for Fairmont The Red Sea was to create a beachfront retreat where luxury hospitality is intrinsically connected to the island's landscape and coastal setting. Rather than existing as an isolated resort, the project forms part of a wider destination that combines hospitality, leisure, wellness, and nature to create an immersive guest experience. By responding to the beaches, lagoons, and marine environment of Shura Island, the resort supports The Red Sea's ambition to establish a globally recognised destination founded on regenerative tourism while delivering a contemporary interpretation of luxury hospitality.

Design Response

The resort draws inspiration from Shura Island's coastal landscape, with lightweight structures, shaded canopies and natural materials reflecting the forms of mangrove forests and the surrounding marine environment. Buildings are carefully positioned to maximise privacy, preserve views and respond to the site's natural topography, allowing the landscape to define the guest experience rather than compete with it.

Working closely with Foster + Partners, Red Sea Global and the wider consultant team, Dewan coordinated architectural, structural, building-services and specialist disciplines to deliver a fully integrated design. The project required the resolution of complex technical interfaces while preserving the quality, character and environmental aspirations of the original concept.

Key design strategies included:

• Executive architectural delivery for a flagship beachfront resort within The Red Sea destination
• Design development and multidisciplinary coordination across all project disciplines
• Integration of hospitality facilities within Shura Island's coastal landscape
• Close collaboration with Foster + Partners and Red Sea Global throughout project delivery
• Coordination of architecture, engineering, and specialist consultants within a unified design process

Experience of Place

The arrival sequence has been designed as a gradual journey through the landscape. Guests approach the resort along the Ribbon Path before arriving at a central gathering space, where framed views of the Red Sea introduce the destination. From there, meandering pathways and lightweight boardwalks connect guestrooms, villas and amenities through native planting and mangrove habitats, encouraging a slower pace and a closer relationship with the island's natural environment.

Restaurants, wellness facilities and guest accommodation are arranged to maximise connections to the coastline while maintaining privacy and tranquillity, creating an immersive resort experience shaped by the surrounding landscape.

Performance and Impact

Environmental stewardship is fundamental to the resort's design. The project adopts a light-touch approach to development, protecting existing mangroves and coastal habitats while supporting Red Sea Global's wider ambition to deliver regenerative tourism. Strategies including low-impact construction, renewable energy, biodiversity protection and resilient infrastructure contribute to the long-term sustainability of both the resort and the island destination.

The project's performance outcomes included:

• Creation of a world-class beachfront destination on Shura Island
• Expansion of The Red Sea's collection of internationally branded luxury resorts
• Enhancement of Saudi Arabia's growing luxury tourism offering
• Support for the Kingdom's Vision 2030 ambitions to diversify the national tourism economy

"Our role was to transform an ambitious architectural vision into a coordinated and buildable luxury resort without compromising its connection to Shura Island's extraordinary natural setting. Every technical decision balanced precision with the principles of barefoot luxury, ensuring that the guest experience remains inseparable from the island's beaches, lagoons and marine environment while supporting Red Sea Global's regenerative vision for the destination."

Hossam Ezzeldin

Senior Design Manager

Project Facts

The following information outlines the key details of the project.

• Location: Shura Island, The Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
• Sector: Hospitality
• Client: Red Sea Global
• Design Architect: Foster + Partners
• Executive Architect: Dewan Architects + Engineers
• Scope: Executive Architecture, Lead Design Consultant
• Size: 24,000 m²
• Accomodation: 193 keys
• Operator: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
• Status: Under Construction