Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind regenerative tourism destinations The Red Sea and Amaala, has announced that it has been awarded six new LEED certifications for properties at The Red Sea.

These Building Design + Construction (BD+C) certifications solidify its position as a leader in developing efficient, green buildings. Additionally, RSG has secured the LEED for Cities and Communities pre-certification for the Amaala masterplan. 

“We were determined to redefine industry standards from the outset. To ensure we deliver on this ambition, our development and delivery teams work hand in hand with our sustainability team at every stage, scrutinising design plans and collaborating during the build process, resulting in high quality, low-impact properties,” said John Pagano, Group CEO at RSG.

The seven latest certifications RSG achieved are:

•   Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, The St Regis Red Sea Resort, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve – all with LEED v4 BD+C: Hospitality Platinum;

•   Turtle Bay Management Office with LEED v4 BD+C: New Construction Platinum;

•   The Red Sea linear apartments and The Red Sea type Z apartments – both with LEED v4 BD+C: New Construction Gold; and

•   Amaala masterplan – LEED v4.1 Cities and Communities: Plan and Design Communities (First Phase) Platinum.

Red Sea Global said to achieve LEED certification, each building incorporates a range of sustainability features including passive design techniques, energy-efficient technologies, sustainable material selection, water conservation strategies, building management systems, and treated sewage effluent for irrigation.

“Achieving LEED certification is more than just implementing sustainable practices. It represents a commitment to making the world a better place and influencing others to do better,” remarked Peter Templeton, CEO at the US Green Building Council (USGBC). “Given the extraordinary importance of climate protection and the central role buildings play in that effort, Red Sea Global is creating a path forward through their LEED certification.”

According to RSG, all six properties newly certified at The Red Sea are connected to the destination’s renewable infrastructure and operate entirely on solar energy.  Across Phase One of the development alone, this will avoid the equivalent of 575,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere per year.

This is equal to removing more than 133,000 cars from the road for one year, or powering 75,000 homes. Amaala will be powered the same way and will avoid 350,000t CO2eq per year across Phase One of its development, it stated.

Further, Red Sea International Airport is the only airport across the GCC countries powered by sunlight 24 hours a day, said RSG.