The marina town was built within the framework of a general plan for developing yacht tourism along the Red Sea coast. Its first phase of construction provides a hotel, three motels, 65 shops, 14 restaurants and 121 apartments. Planning was based on the creation of an image of an old city, with narrow alleyways, different building elements and a range of arch types and elevations (the latter inspired mainly by Yemeni architecture). A flat slab/hollow block structural system was combined with local building techniques, such as using mud brick for building arches, mouldings, decorative screens and parapets.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture