The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) has awarded the contract to design and build infrastructure at its Coastal Village to Saudi firm Contracting & Construction Enterprises (CCE).

The village will be home to around 14,000 people who will eventually work at the destination.

CCE, an engineering procurement and construction firm based in Riyadh, is responsible for developing the village’s local infrastructure, which is designed to minimise its carbon footprint.

The company will also construct a network of paths and walkways, as well as the earthworks and utility hub buildings structure.

“Our Coastal Village will soon be home for the employees who will operate the destination, as well as their families.

“We want our residents to be as comfortable at the Red Sea Project as the guests who visit us, which is why we’re developing a liveable and sustainable community in which they can live, work and relax,” said John Pagano, chief executive of TRSDC.

“We’re creating a new resort village and CCE is aligned with our commitment to creating this eco-friendly community, making them the perfect partner for this project.”

To meet TRSDC’s ambitious sustainability standards CCE will be responsible for establishing a circulation network to connect the village that prioritises walking, cycling and a fleet of electric buggies and service vehicles.

The Coastal Village will not be accessible by regular vehicles and instead rely on a network of roads and paths built for sustainable travel.

This will be supplemented by energy-efficient LED street lighting and illuminated signages that will comply with the Red Sea Dark Sky guidelines.

Lighting controls are provided to ensure that lighting is switched off during times when there is adequate daylight available, or no one is around.

The contract also covers the construction of utility hubs, a potable water network, a firefighting water network, an irrigation network, and a sewerage network.

Khaled Al Nabet, chairman of CCE, said: “It is an exciting challenge to design and build new infrastructure for this new residential village, and to do that while meeting the ambitious sustainability targets set by TRSDC.

“Our designs have been developed to ensure we play our role in creating the world’s first truly regenerative tourism destination, and to lay a solid foundation for the success of future work.”

The Coastal Village will include high-quality amenities including restaurants and cafes, supermarkets, recreational facilities, cinemas, a hospital and school, beachfront club and associated facilities, and other support and civic buildings.

The Red Sea Project has already passed significant milestones and work is on track to welcome the first guests by the end of 2022, when the international airport and the first hotels will open.

The Coastal Village will become home to its first residents by the second quarter of 2021.

Upon completion in 2030, The Red Sea Project will comprise 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites.

The destination will also include marinas, championship golf courses, entertainment and leisure facilities.