Here’s what to expect from the resort hidden within rocks.
AlUla has some magnificent hotels in the works, but one of the most intriguing is Sharaan Resort by Jean Nouvel. The French architect Jean Nouvel is behind the striking resort hidden within rocks, which will be located in the Sharaan Nature Reserve.
Sharaan Resort by Jean Nouvel draws its inspiration from its surroundings, including Nabatean carvings and the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Hegra. He stated: “Our project is celebrating the Nabatean spirit without caricaturing it. This creation genuinely becomes a cultural act.”
So far, we know that the resort will create a spatial and sensorial experience that combines nature, architecture, and art. Priding itself on the finer details, it aims to make every aspect, from a chopped stone to a granular rock, a work of art.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited the Sharaan Resort Project in December 2024, where images of the progress were revealed. The site will include open public spaces, encouraging visitors to explore the history on their doorstep. Plus, the concept is committed to honouring the heritage and landscape and plans to minimise the impact on nature. So, the designers have introduced abstraction, which involves sculpting the structure into rather than competing with the landscape.
Jean explained: “AlUla is a museum. Every wadi and escarpment, every stretch of sand and rocky outline, and every geological and archaeological site deserves the greatest consideration. It’s vital we keep all its distinctiveness and conserve its attractiveness, which largely rests on its remote and occasionally archaic character. We have to safeguard a little mystery as well as the promise of discoveries to come.”
Unlike many of the other Saudi Arabia megaprojects, the resort on Sharaan Nature Reserve is nature-focused. Covering a rocky 925 square kilometre landscape, the project hopes to re-establish plants and wildlife in the area. Thanks to recent work, Arabian wolves and red foxes have already been spotted on the land.
Jean Nouvel hails from Fumel, France. If his other designs are anything to go on, Sharaan Resort by Jean Nouvel will be a stunning site. He is no stranger to the Middle East, as he is behind the architecture of the Louvre Abu Dhabi and The National Museum of Qatar in Doha.
Sharaan Resort by Jean Nouvel is expected to be completed in 2026. We’re excited.
GO: Visit https://www.rcu.gov.sa for more information.
