A render of Sindalah Beach Club at Sindalah island, which will be the first destination in Neom to open, in 2024. Photo: Neom
A render of Sindalah Beach Club at Sindalah island, which will be the first destination in Neom to open, in 2024. Photo: Neom
A render of Sindalah Beach Club at Sindalah island, which will be the first destination in Neom to open, in 2024. Photo: Neom
A render of Sindalah Beach Club at Sindalah island, which will be the first destination in Neom to open, in 2024. Photo: Neom

Saudi Arabia's Neom and MDLBeast create an 'ultra-modern' beach club


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Neom and Saudi music entertainment company MDLBeast have teamed up to create an "ultra-modern" beach club on the $500 billion megaproject's luxury island, Sindalah.

The Sindalah Beach Club, located on the shores of the Red Sea, promises year-round experiences inspired by music and culture.

MDLBeast, which is behind the annual Soundstorm festival, will curate the music scene at Sindalah, promising to bring in world-famous musicians, artists and DJs, as well as cutting-edge audio and visual installations.

"Sindalah is bringing a new model for luxury travel and living powered by innovation and sustainability," said Antoni Vives, chief urban planning and islands officer at Neom. "MDLBeast will reimagine the typical beach club experience into a tech-enhanced journey."

The aim is for the club to balance high-quality experiences with environmental preservation. The architecture has been designed to blend with the natural environment and construction plans aim to create minimal ecological footprint.

Ramadan Alharatani, chief executive of MDLBeast, said the partnership marks a pivotal moment in "redefining the beach club experience", as his company oversees operations beyond music programming.

This will include the introduction of exclusive VIP areas, a signature retail venue and dining outlets.

The seahorse-shaped Sindalah will be the first to open to tourists in the megacity, later this year. Spread over 840,000 square metres along the Red Sea, the luxury island will have a strong focus on conserving its surrounding natural beauty, most of which is untouched.

The destination will have a large marina, yacht club, spa and wellness centre, as well as 51 luxury retail outlets.

Sindalah will also be home to the GCC's first island golf course. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, the nine-hole golf course will have a 280-metre driving range and golf practice suites. It will also be home to an on-site sports club with a training academy, Olympic-size swimming pool, spa and courts.

In March last year, it was announced three Marriott properties – which include the first Autograph Collection Hotels property in the kingdom – will be the inaugural resorts on the island.

Marriott will open the first three hotels at Sindalah. Photo: Marriott Hotels
Marriott will open the first three hotels at Sindalah. Photo: Marriott Hotels

For its Saudi debut, Autograph Collection Hotels will open a futuristic resort; a boutique-sized property that will have 66 room and suites, including one and two-bedroom villas, as well as several dining options, a children's club and a luxury spa.

Marriott's Luxury Collection beach resort will have 70 luxury rooms and suites, including one to four-bedroom villas, all with private pools.

Meanwhile, an all-suite property with 115 luxury abodes will open in the central marina district. Both properties will have several dining options, guest experiences and leisure facilities.

Overall, Sindalah is set to feature 413 premium hotel rooms, as well as 88 villas, 333 serviced apartments, nine fine-dining restaurants and nine casual restaurants, some with rooftop lounges.

It is expected to receive 2,400 visitors a day by 2028, with about 3,500 jobs expected to be created in the process.

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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Analysis

Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe


Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km

SPECS
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The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

The Specs:

The Specs:

Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 444bhp

Torque: 600Nm

Price: AED 356,580 incl VAT

On sale: now.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

Retail gloom

Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.

It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.

The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.

Updated: February 14, 2024, 11:37 AM`