Red Sea Global (RSG), the regenerative tourism developer behind The Red Sea destination in Saudi Arabia, has achieved the world's first certification recognising resorts that protect natural night skies through responsible outdoor lighting.
Cundall provided lighting design guidelines and peer reviewed the lighting design for Desert Rock, one of the first resorts in the world to earn certification under the new DarkSky Approved Lodging & Resort programme. Desert Rock is part of the Red Sea destination, for which Cundall reviewed the lighting strategy. The strategy ensures appropriate illumination for safety and wayfinding while balancing visitor experience with stringent International DarkSky requirements.
The team surveyed lighting installations across the 28,000 km² destination area, reviewing building-mounted, feature, landscape and street lighting against dark-sky requirements. This strategy played a key role in supporting DarkSky compliance across the destination and the successful certification of its resorts.
Responsible outdoor lighting is a cornerstone of regenerative development. By minimising artificial light at night, DarkSky principles reduce energy consumption, preserve natural night skies, and protect biodiversity by maintaining the natural light-dark cycle that wildlife depends on.
Tony Owens, Technical Director said: “Achieving the world's first DarkSky Resort certification is a landmark moment for Red Sea Global and the wider tourism industry. Our role was to develop a lighting guidelines and strategy that protects the natural night environment while ensuring a safe and enjoyable guest experience. This achievement demonstrates that even developments of unprecedented scale can minimise their impact on the night sky through careful planning, coordination and a commitment to responsible design."
This achievement builds on Cundall's wider expertise in dark-sky and environmentally responsible lighting design across the Kingdom. The firm has also supported the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), providing guidelines and advice that supports international dark sky compliance to help inform the development.
