The farther back you look, the farther ahead you can see

In 2015 the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. From ending hunger to ensuring the quality of education worldwide, preserving life on land and below water, or promoting good health and wellbeing, the SDGs comprise 17 connected goals. They naturally integrate into an interdependent framework where one area’s actions directly impact another. It is an unprecedented global challenge that will substantially improve individuals’ lives – an international attempt to change the world, plain and simple.

I believe that changing the world is a matter of focus. A clear mandate, a pragmatic view, and the optimal use of resources are an unstoppable mix. The SDGs are a noble and necessary cause, but we would be mistaken if we only thought about fulfilling them. Deciding how we do it is as important as actually getting there. The chosen pathway will determine how the planet will look once we meet them, how we will live, and how we will continue to develop. 

Development is a complex idea. Far from consensus, the concept has driven international economic, social, political, and philosophical discussions for the past 200 years. During the 20th century, the question of how the world should move forward or what it meant to be developed or underdeveloped seemed to be clear. Development was linked to industrialization, modernity, and technology. However, the discussion on development is back on today.

The tourist industry plays a crucial role in international development. As one of the sectors that has suffered the most from the pandemic, we find ourselves challenging the pillars of our understanding of development to figure out the next step. This Great Reset offers us an opportunity to do things differently. I find inspiration in Winston Churchill’s wise words: “the farther back you look, the farther ahead you can see.” Let me explain myself.

For too long, we misunderstood development as an increasing degree of separation from nature – a means of making our existence in nature a bit easier and more manageable. However, we over-relied on material and technological solutions that ended up disconnecting us, separating us from our natural habitats. Sometimes even stripping us of our human essence. This approach is making our way of life unsustainable and our planet potentially uninhabitable for us.

Our Red Sea and AMAALA projects are about reconnecting with nature in a new way that’s paradoxically as old as human beings are. We are creating barefoot luxury to eliminate technological degrees of separation from nature, and creating a holistic wellness offering that addresses the importance of psychological and emotional wellbeing, recognizing the importance of achieving a harmonious balance between the mind, body, soul, and nature.

We are doing so following nature-based and low-impact design, construction, and operation strategies to make our footprint not only innocuous but enhancing. It is the beginning of a journey that brings us back to untouched nature in a pleasant and inspirational manner. Over-relying on technology for development made us believe we could only be as successful as our technology. Instead, let’s use technology to be as successful as nature – sustainable, enriching, regenerative, and instinctively respectful of the ecological ceiling of our planet.

We believe that blending with nature is the best method to contribute to the SDGs. A recent survey conducted by the UN confirms we are not alone. A vast majority of people in up to 28 countries agree on the SDGs, prioritizing the end of poverty and hunger and promoting good health and wellbeing. Notably, they also include clean water and sanitation, life on land and below water, affordable clean energy, and climate action in their top 10 priorities.

The Red Sea Development Company’s strategies include an unprecedented effort to conserve and expand natural land and below water habitats directly correlated with poverty reduction, a catalyzing contribution to the expansion of reliable renewable energy, and a strong focus on health and wellbeing. We proactively partner with socio-economic, industrial, and institutional stakeholders to facilitate the growth and diversification of the Saudi and international economy and workforce. We are proud to contribute to the SDGs positively and will make that contribution replicable, contagious, and, hopefully, world-changing.