Equinox Opens First Resort Outside the US at AMAALA, Riding Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Boom

The big picture: Red Sea Global (RSG) officially opened Equinox AMAALA at Marina Village in Triple Bay. Consequently, this landmark launch brings the renowned American luxury wellness brand to the Red Sea coast. The development marks Equinox Hotels’ second global property and its first resort outside the United States. Furthermore, this opening highlights Saudi Arabia’s rapid transformation into a premier international travel destination under the ambitious Vision 2030.

Moreover, the destination combines high-performance living with ecological sustainability along the pristine northwestern shoreline. Consequently, Red Sea Global continues to establish pioneering standards for environmental stewardship while expanding its luxury hospitality portfolio across the region.

A New Benchmark for Luxury and Wellness

Foster + Partners designed the striking resort architecture, while Rockwell Group created the sophisticated interiors. The property draws direct inspiration from the surrounding Red Sea coastline, marine ecosystems, and rugged mountains. Additionally, the resort features 128 guest rooms and suites across six categories, including two luxury penthouses, alongside 21 branded residences.

At the heart of the destination, guests access the largest fitness facility in AMAALA. The facility covers 704 square meters of state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor training space. Moreover, the resort incorporates Equinox Hotels’ signature sleep science platform into every room. Therefore, visitors benefit from circadian lighting, advanced acoustic isolation, and precision climate control.

A massive 1,602-square-meter spa centers its operations on the exclusive Equinox X Circuit. This seven-stage regenerative journey combines advanced technology with personalized care. Specifically, treatments include cryotherapy, infrared saunas, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, hydrotherapy, and contrast-temperature therapies. Furthermore, guests can relax in four outdoor swimming pools, including a rooftop magnesium salt pool that overlooks Triple Bay, AMAALA Marina, and the AMAALA Yacht Club.

Dining options focus on indulgently healthy nutrition through four distinct concepts: Mint & Co, Souk Soho, Sama I, and EQX Den. Meanwhile, travelers can reach AMAALA via a 45-minute electric vehicle drive or a 20-minute seaplane flight from Red Sea International Airport.

What they’re saying: “The opening of Equinox AMAALA adds a distinctive new dimension to the destination’s wellness offering,” said John Pagano, Group CEO of Red Sea Global. “Equinox has built a global reputation around a high-performance lifestyle, and bringing that expertise to AMAALA reinforces our ambition to create a destination where wellness, sport, and luxury come together in a truly unique way.”

Fueling Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Boom

This resort opening reflects the Kingdom’s broader economic diversification strategy. Saudi Arabia continuously invests massive capital to expand its travel infrastructure. For instance, the government introduced streamlined e-visas for over 60 nationalities and launched 96-hour transit visas. Additionally, national carriers Saudia, flynas, and Riyadh Air actively expand direct global flight routes to connect key cultural, historical, and commercial regions.

Furthermore, major developments like Diriyah, AlUla, and Qiddiya complement the Red Sea coastal resorts. Consequently, these monumental investments position the Kingdom to host global mega-events, including World Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup. As a result, international visitor arrivals continue to hit record highs across the Kingdom.

Vision 2030: Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Revolution

By the numbers:

• 150 million: Saudi Arabia now targets 150 million annual domestic and international visits by 2030, raising its original 100 million goal.
• 122–123 million: Estimated total visitors in 2025, per preliminary Ministry of Tourism figures.
• SAR 1.7 trillion ($453 billion): The Kingdom allocated this massive total funding toward national tourism infrastructure and giga-projects.
• SAR 300 billion ($80 billion): Total visitor spending in Saudi Arabia reached this historic record in 2025.
• 10%: Vision 2030 targets a 10% tourism contribution to national GDP, representing over SAR 375 billion ($100 billion).
• 1,600: AMAALA will ultimately offer over 1,600 hotel rooms across nine luxury wellness resorts upon full completion.
• 4 million: The expanding national tourism sector already created over 1.4 million direct and indirect Saudi jobs.
• SAR 159.9 billion (~$42.6 billion): Inbound visitor spending in 2025, up from SAR 153.6 billion (~$41 billion) in 2024.
• 8: Saudi sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage list, a Vision 2030 target reached ahead of schedule.

Bottom line: Equinox Resort AMAALA doesn’t just add rooms to the Red Sea coast. It adds a recognizable wellness brand to a portfolio built for high-spending international travelers. If AMAALA’s nine resorts open as planned, Saudi Arabia’s 150-million target looks increasingly within reach before the decade closes.

Saudi Arabia continues to build tourism as a pillar of Vision 2030. The Kingdom introduced tourist visas in 2019. It established the Ministry of Tourism in 2020. It then added tourism regulations in 2022, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

Those reforms helped Saudi Arabia welcome 106.2 million domestic and international tourists in 2023. The figure exceeded the original Vision 2030 target of 100 million visitors by seven years. Saudi Arabia now aims to attract 150 million visits by 2030.

The Kingdom has also expanded electronic visas to 66 countries. It promotes destinations through Visit Saudi. In addition, it trains local talent through tourism programs. Moreover, major projects support that push. They include the Red Sea destination, AMAALA, NEOM, Qiddiya and AlUla. Saudi Arabia will also host Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup 2034.

Visit Saudi says tourism could contribute more than 10% of national GDP by 2030. It also targets 1.6 million tourism-related jobs. RSG says AMAALA will run on 100% renewable energy and attract more than 100,000 visitors each year.

What’s next: Equinox AMAALA gives Saudi Arabia another internationally recognised hospitality brand. More importantly, it shows how the Kingdom is targeting specialised markets, including wellness, sport and luxury travel, as it builds a broader tourism economy.