The Next Frontier

With deep pockets and mighty ambitions, Saudi Arabia is building a high-end resort area with serious green cred.

- Prasad Ramamurthy

AS MY HELICOPTER hovered above the seemingly infinite blue sea and the overwater villas at the St. Regis Red Sea Resort (doubles from $1,886), the comparison to the Maldives was inescapable.

But this was no Indian Ocean idyll. Instead, this 90-villa resort is part of Saudi Arabia's project that will turn 11,000 square miles of its western coast into what it hopes will become a top destination for luxury tourism. Backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, it's just one of several futuristic tourism ventures being developed in the kingdom.

The St. Regis is helping lead the way, along with two other exclusive hotels: Six Senses Southern Dunes (doubles from $1,200) and Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve (doubles from $2,666). These three are just the beginning, according to Red Sea Global (RSG), which is developing the area. By 2030, more than 50 hotels-including outposts of Edition, Miraval, and Raffles-are expected to open, with a total of more than 8,000 rooms.