Royal Commission to develop The Chedi Hegra, Saudi Arabia

Posted in News on 23 April, 2023

The Commission is for AlUla (RCU) partners and luxury hotel operator GHM to develop The Chedi Hegra.

The luxury boutique hotel is situated within Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and will open by Q4 2023, with 35 guest rooms.

RCU is carefully uplifting several existing heritage buildings, including an old railway station, Hegra Fort, and surrounding structures, restoring them to their original grandeur.

The Chedi Hegra, Saudi Arabia. Above: Guest room. Top: Hegra fort. All images are renderings.

The Chedi Hegra will be the first hotel to welcome guests to a uniquely authentic luxury experience deep in the ancient Nabataean site in north-west Saudi Arabia. The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has selected luxury hotel management company General Hotel Management Ltd (GHM) to operate the hotel. 

Situated within Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and opening by Q4 2023, The Chedi Hegra will offer 35 bespoke guest rooms, each with its own distinct connection to the Hegra landscape, a breath-taking testimony of human expression within the natural environment.

Reception exterior

Reception interior

RCU is building the hotel directly into several existing structures, including an old railway station and surrounding buildings, Hegra Fort, and others. Structural and exterior walls, some with historical mud-brick construction, are being preserved and integrated with modern architecture. The vast majority of the UNESCO World Heritage Site will remain untouched by construction and carefully preserved by RCU to maintain the integrity of Hegra’s incredible human and natural heritage.

Restaurant

RCU has also ensured all design and construction efforts align with the Sustainability Charter for AlUla, including a light-touch tourism approach, imaginative infrastructure, planting of native flora, and an all-electric mobility system. Where possible, the project will use local construction materials and work with local businesses and labour, and the hotel is expected to create at least 120 jobs once fully operational.

Canopy

The property will feature three fine-dining restaurants, a café, and a full-service spa and pool, with many of the buildings connected by an overhead art canopy focused on wind movement and natural light. The on-site restaurants will each offer unique experiences for hotel guests and others visiting Hegra. One of the restaurants inside the old railway station will feature an exhibition of carefully preserved artefacts, including a fully-restored train, while another will sit within the Hegra Fort, and a third will feature unobstructed views from a sunken water basin seating area.

John Northen, RCU Vice President of Hotels & Resorts, said: “Sitting at the nexus of AlUla’s living museum, The Chedi Hegra embodies the fulfilment of our Journey Through Time master plan with its deep respect for heritage, sustainable design features, and an authentic luxury experience that celebrates what makes AlUla a special destination for travellers seeking both comfort and adventure.”

Tommy Lai, Chief Executive Officer of GHM said “GHM is thrilled to introduce this luxurious heritage boutique hotel that will offer authentic, unrivalled lifestyle experience deep within the ancient Nabataean site of Hegra. As the first hotel within Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, we are committed to preserve the site’s integrity while seamlessly integrating modern architecture and comforts. I am certain that guests will recognise and appreciate the value we place in minimising our environmental impact, through the sustainable efforts of the hotel, in addition to our dedication in conserving the legacy of Hegra – a true GHM hallmark of creating inspired spaces.”

Water basin

About GHM
Since 1992, General Hotel Management Ltd (GHM) has been melding the refined grandeur of contemporary Asian designs with local character for inspired, memorable spaces showcasing the best each destination has to offer and providing guests with a true style to remember. Under its legendary portfolio, GHM conceptualises, develops and operates some of the world’s most exceptional luxury hotels and resorts, each property being a distinct original that welcomes an unrivalled lifestyle experience.

GHM’s exclusive portfolio includes The Chedi AI Bait, Sharjah, UAE, The Chedi Muscat, Oman, The Chedi Andermatt, Switzerland, The Chedi Hotel and Residences Luštica Bay, Montenegro, The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort, Doha, Qatar and The Chedi El Gouna, Red Sea, Egypt. As part of the brand’s plans to continue its legacy globally, GHM currently has five projects in the pipeline which include The Chedi Wadi Safar and The Chedi Trojena in Saudi Arabia.