At Red Sea Global, tourism isn’t just about five-star resorts and sun-drenched beaches—it’s a full-blown regenerative mission. And its latest project, Botanica, is perhaps the most quietly radical move yet: a sprawling, 1.8 million square meter nursery-turned-nature experience that puts biodiversity on center stage.
Tucked behind the glossy renderings of mega-resorts and sleek yachts is something far more unexpected—a working landscape nursery that has already supplied more than 7 million plants to RSG’s twin eco-destinations, The Red Sea and AMAALA. Now, with the launch of Botanica, it opens its gates to guests. Yes, guests. Because in the world of Red Sea Global, even a plant nursery becomes a destination.
“Botanica isn’t just about plants—it’s about people reconnecting with nature,” says John Pagano, RSG’s group CEO, whose sweeping vision for regenerative tourism is fast becoming the blueprint for luxury travel in the Middle East. This is not a side hustle. It’s RSG’s DNA.
Guests can take guided tours, dig their hands into the soil to plant native flora, dine on-site at the leafy Botanica Café, and shop for seeds in a garden boutique that feels more Kyoto than Riyadh. It’s immersive, it’s serene—and it’s strategic.
“Botanica isn’t just about plants—it’s about people reconnecting with nature”
John Pagano, RSG group CEO
By 2030, Botanica aims to have propagated over 30 million plants, powering RSG’s rewilding ambitions across 22 islands and six inland sites. That’s not landscaping—it’s ecological restoration at national scale. Add in the fact that a quarter of the nursery’s 400 employees come from nearby communities, and you start to understand why this isn’t just greenwashing; it’s green building, from the ground up.
Last year, RSG opened five resorts. Soon, it’ll operate 50. But Botanica signals that this development isn’t about volume—it’s about values. Alongside other experience brands like Galaxea (diving), WAMA (watersports), and Akun (land-based adventures), RSG is quietly creating a regenerative lifestyle ecosystem. It’s tourism without the footprint, luxury without the excess.
In a region often synonymous with oil, Red Sea Global is betting big on roots—literally and figuratively. And Botanica, with its blend of horticulture, hospitality, and hope, might just be the green heart of it all.
