Guided by His Royal Highness Prince Turki bin Talal’s visionary leadership and led by the creative direction of OBMI Design Director, Islam El Mashtooly, this project celebrates the region’s heritage while shaping its future by merging cultural authenticity with modern innovation and environmental harmony. At OBMI, we are passionate about creating places that reflect the stories and spirit of their surroundings, and this exciting development allows us to celebrate the deep richness of Abha’s history for generations to come. ARDARA, meaning ‘Our Land, Our Home’, will sprawl across 2.5 million square meters, dedicating over 30% of the project’s area as green open spaces, with 16 km of waterfront extending across the length of the project, and 17 km of sport trails and cultural activities. This Project would not have been possible without OBMI’s extraordinary team of talented designers across our global studios supporting Islam, and in particular: Anastasiia Chenina, Hannah Abouzour, Drew Gilbert, Nawaf Mohammad and Samaher Abouauf, and of course OBMI’s ever-inspiring Chairman, Tim M.E. Peck, Principal, Tareq El Zayat, KSA Director Jamil Adra, Projects Director Devaganga HM. Design excellence committee: Islam El Mashtooly, Herick Wolfgang Rodriguez, Andres Osorio and Mo Attia.

 

ARDARA Development Company issued the below press release providing more details on the partnership and development:

Prince Turki bin Talal Sponsors the Signing of Strategic Contracts with Parsons and OBMI for Engineering Design Works to Develop the Valley Destination

Under the patronage and presence of His Royal Highness Prince Turki bin Talal, Governor of Asir Region, Chairman of the Board of Directors of its Development Authority, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ardara Development Company, Ardara, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, signed strategic contracts with the global company “Parsons” and the architectural design company “OBMI”. This signing represents the decision on the engineering designs to develop the valley destination, the first of Ardara’s projects, to harmonize with the nature and approved urban identity of the Asir region, and in line with the Asir region strategy “Peaks and Heights.”

The work of “Parsons” in partnership with “SWA” focuses on many engineering scopes and vital fields, including the rehabilitation and development of Abha Valley to be a year-round waterfront, with environmental and biological diversity. In addition to creating lakes, waterfalls and waterfronts in the valley, developing sustainable infrastructure and public facilities, renewable energy solutions, designing rainwater and flood drainage works, landscaping, designing roads and various vital means of transportation, designing communication networks and smart city solutions. In addition to designing public squares, natural environmental beautification and green cover, developing irrigation systems, designing public facilities and gardens, and pedestrian bridges in harmony with the nature and climate of Abha and the heritage of the Asir region. These companies also work in cooperation with specialized international consultants to ensure providing the best international designs to implement the “Wadi” destination, which will contain different artistic styles through the arts displayed in public areas, designing and implementing dynamic waterfronts and landmarks, and designing and implementing smart lighting and signboards.

OBMI has been selected as the lead designer for the Wadi project after winning a global competition launched by Ardara this year with special invitations to major architectural design firms known for their prestigious achievements and designs of the most important real estate landmarks on the international level. This phase is the first phase of the project and includes at its heart a group of distinctive assets and attractive architectural designs for a unique destination, which includes a luxury five-star hotel, another four-star hotel, a comprehensive health center, in addition to modern commercial facilities that will be implemented according to the highest standards. It also includes residential units that express a vibrant lifestyle bearing global brands, public parks located within a field of green spaces, and a walkway on the picturesque waterfront interspersed with various artistic masterpieces, which adds an aesthetic and recreational dimension to the project and enhances the attractiveness of the Wadi destination.

OBMI also has a history spanning more than 85 years and a presence in 87 countries around the world. It has won numerous international awards in the field of design, and is a key partner that has contributed to the design of the finest hotel assets worldwide.

In this context, Prince Turki bin Talal, Chairman of the ARDARA Board, expressed his gratitude to the great leadership for its continuous support to achieve the goals of the Asir Region Strategy “Peaks and Heights”, stressing that the vision for the “Wadi” destination goes beyond mere real estate development; rather, it is a goal to achieve a qualitative transformation for the region, so that it embraces a balanced mix of authenticity and modernity, and that through these strategic partnerships, we do not only seek to build an attractive destination, but to create an economic and cultural hub that connects Asir to the world.

Naif bin Saleh Al-Hamdan, Managing Director of ARDARA, stated that these partnerships represent the cornerstone in shaping the features of the “Wadi” project, which aims to create a vibrant destination in the heart of Abha, and provide a solid infrastructure and architectural designs that enhance the attractiveness of the region and highlight its cultural identity, which enhances sustainable investment opportunities in a destination built according to the highest international standards.

This signing is an important strategic step in the journey of the Wadi destination, as this cooperation with global expertise constitutes a step towards achieving a comprehensive vision aimed at developing an integrated and sustainable destination that adds a new dimension to the region. These partnerships are expected to contribute to accelerating the pace of work in the Wadi destination, which extends over an area of 2.5 million square meters, and provides more than 30% of the project area as open green spaces, 16 km of water destinations extending across the destination, and 17 km of sports tracks, cultural and community activities. Thus enhancing the economic, cultural and heritage aspects of the city of Abha and the Asir region.

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To learn more about AlWadi visit: https://ardara.sa/our-destinations