Six Senses Wadi Safar

Six Senses Wadi Safar is a hilltop resort planned for Wadi Safar, a desert valley just west of Diriyah and north-west of central Riyadh. It is being developed by Diriyah Company as part of a gated Wadi Safar community, and draws on the Najdi palace architecture of central Arabia. It gives Riyadh-bound clients a wellness retreat within reach of the city rather than a long flight away.

The setting

The resort sits on a hill with views across the valley, with guest accommodation spread over about 49 acres (roughly 20 hectares). Luxury Travel Advisor puts it about 25 miles from King Khalid International Airport. Wadi Safar is also earmarked for other luxury projects, including an Aman, according to Aman Group’s own announcements.

The 2023 announcement described 80 guest rooms arranged in five clusters. A more recent round-up of Six Senses’ 2027 openings does not give a room count, so treat 80 as the last published figure rather than a final number.

Eat and drink

Planned venues include a main restaurant opening onto the pool, a signature restaurant, a grill and a brew bar, with seasonal sharing plates themed to the location. There is also a multi-use events space with an open-air amphitheatre and a boutique styled on a traditional artisan souk.

What it means for advisors

This suits clients who want a short wellness reset bolted onto a Riyadh business trip, or a culture-and-calm add-on after time at Diriyah Gate and At-Turaif. The Six Senses Spa plans include:

• Dedicated sight and touch suites
• A hammam and treatment rooms
• A gym, studio and separate yoga studio
• Biohacking tools and multi-day retreats

The resort is also meant to host sport, art, culture and fashion events, which could create demand spikes worth watching. Like the rest of central Saudi Arabia, it will be most comfortable outdoors in the cooler months.

Opening status

Six Senses and Diriyah Company announced the resort in December 2023 with a 2026 opening. That has slipped: an October 2026 Tageskarte round-up of Six Senses’ 2027 openings lists Wadi Safar for the fourth quarter of 2027. No booking date has been published, and a late-year target leaves little room for further delay before it becomes a 2028 story.

Sources: hotel-online.com, luxurytraveladvisor.com, tageskarte.io, hospitalitynet.org