Saudi Arabia: Amaala, the ultra-luxury destination planned along Saudi Arabia’s northwestern coastline, has announced the appointment of architectural firm Denniston as the master planners for The Island, one of the project's key components.

The Island will be the home of an exclusive art community, and an Arabic botanical garden complemented by a collection of sculptural pieces.

The Island will house masterpieces across four key design elements - a contemporary art museum and academy, a Riviera-lifestyle artists’ colony, immersive artistic experiences, and art and sculpture co-creation opportunities.

Amaala CEO Nicholas Naples said: “Our ambition is to create personalised experiences, catering to the individual needs of each guest. Entrenched in the philosophies of art, wellness, and inspired by the purity of the Red Sea, we are excited to be working alongside Jean-Michel Gathy and Denniston to bring to life our vision for The Island.

"It is here where our guests will embark on a transformational journey and feed the soul through arts and cultural offerings, with opportunities for philanthropic art co-creation."

Gathy, principal designer of Denniston, said: “The Island development will be an immersive and interactive art-inspired jewel. Its lifestyle components, its landscaping, the museums, and art installations together with the art community will transform this island into the 'Diamond of the Red Sea'.

"It will feature many different venues for permanent installations or temporary exhibitions and artistic performances. The graphic layout of its spine will be distinctive from the air and will be recognised internationally as an iconic landmark. The project features all elements programmed and reflects the areas, numbers and facilities. This is truly unique, nothing like it has ever been planned before."

The community of The Island will be anchored by an artists' village of working studios, artisanal shops, galleries, plus exhibition and performance facilities hosting a year-round calendar of immersive, and transformative works, representing the pillar of arts and culture.

The development of Amaala, dubbed the Riviera of the Middle East, is being rolled out across three key phases, with completion of the destination aimed for ahead of the realisation of Saudi Vision 2030.

Set in the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Nature Reserve, the 3,800-Sq km year-round destination will include 2,500 hotel keys and more than 800 residential villas, apartments and estate homes, alongside 200 high-end retail establishments, fine dining, wellness and recreation.

As well as The Island, Amaala’s trio of communities also includes Triple Bay and Coastal Development.

Triple Bay will offer a fully holistic wellness retreat, diagnostic medical facilities and authentic treatments designed to feature the local environment. Triple Bay will also be home to a fully integrated sports and entertainment community.

The Coastal Development is set to become the defining hub of contemporary art in the Middle East, playing host to a dynamic programme of exciting events from the global arts and cultural calendar.