The 60-villa resort near Riyadh will mark a significant Middle East expansion for Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and become the first hotel to welcome guests at Diriyah Company’s Wadi Safar destination.
Oberoi Hotels & Resorts is preparing to open The Oberoi Sukoonvilas, Wadi Safar in Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of 2027, giving the Indian luxury hospitality group a new foothold in one of the Kingdom’s most closely watched tourism developments.
Located approximately 30 minutes from Riyadh, the resort will sit within Wadi Safar, close to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of At-Turaif in Diriyah.
Spread across more than 37 acres, the development will comprise just 60 standalone villas and 10 branded residences, deliberately keeping room density low as it targets the upper end of Saudi Arabia’s growing luxury leisure market.
The property is expected to become the first hotel to open in Wadi Safar, making its launch an important milestone for the wider destination as well as for Oberoi.
Luxury built around the Wadi
The resort’s architecture takes its cues from traditional Najdi design, using natural materials, muted tones and forms intended to respond to the contours and landscape of the valley.
Private villas will feature high ceilings, generous natural light and views across indigenous vegetation, with privacy and a connection to the surrounding landscape forming central parts of the design proposition.
The name Sukoon translates broadly as tranquillity or inner calm, a positioning reflected throughout the project.
Rather than creating a conventional large-scale resort, Oberoi is presenting the property as a low-density retreat centred on privacy, wellness and highly personalised service.
Vikram Oberoi, CEO of Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, described Wadi Safar as an opportunity to create an experience closely connected to Saudi Arabia’s history, culture and natural landscape.
Three distinctive dining concepts
Food and beverage will play a significant role in the resort.
Yatra, led by Michelin-starred chef Rohit Ghai, will explore Indian cuisine through regional dishes and contemporary interpretations, drawing a connection between historic spice routes linking India and the Arabian Peninsula.
Linnet will bring the work of London baker Lily Jones, founder of Lily Vanilli, to Wadi Safar through a patisserie and lounge concept serving artisanal baking, savoury dishes, Indian teas and Arabic coffee.
The resort’s all-day restaurant, Beyla, will offer Italian, French, Japanese, Arabic and Indian dishes through indoor and outdoor dining spaces overlooking the landscape.
The breadth of the dining offer is notable for a resort with only 60 villas, reflecting the growing expectation that ultra-luxury resorts operate as culinary destinations in their own right.
Wellness becomes part of the proposition
Wellness will centre on Asmi by Oberoi, the group’s wellbeing concept.
The programme takes inspiration from the Panchakosha philosophy and combines massage therapies with movement, mindfulness, yoga, breathing and nutrition.
Guests will also have access to an infinity pool overlooking the valley and a fitness centre.
Nearby attractions will include the Royal Equestrian and Polo Club and a 27-hole championship golf course designed by Greg Norman, alongside At-Turaif and the wider Diriyah heritage district.
This mix of hospitality, culture, golf and equestrian experiences is central to Wadi Safar’s positioning as a luxury destination rather than simply another resort development.
Wadi Safar builds its luxury hotel cluster
The Oberoi is only one part of a much larger hospitality programme planned for Wadi Safar.
The destination is expected to eventually include several international luxury hotel operators, with names including Aman, Six Senses, Faena, The Chedi and Montage among the brands associated with the wider development.
That makes The Oberoi Sukoonvilas particularly important because it is expected to establish the first hospitality benchmark for the destination.
Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of Diriyah Company, said the opening would mark an important milestone for Wadi Safar and highlighted Oberoi’s emphasis on craftsmanship, service and sense of place as closely aligned with the destination’s vision.
Wadi Safar itself forms part of the broader Diriyah development programme, one of Saudi Arabia’s major tourism, heritage and real estate projects.
A significant international move for Oberoi
For Oberoi, the Saudi opening represents a noteworthy international expansion.
The company’s luxury resort portfolio is strongly associated with India, although the brand also operates internationally in destinations including Marrakech, Mauritius, Bali and Lombok.
Wadi Safar therefore gives Oberoi exposure to one of the fastest-developing luxury hospitality markets in the Middle East while allowing it to enter with a relatively intimate villa-led product rather than a large conventional hotel.
The property will also test how Oberoi’s understated service philosophy translates into the rapidly expanding Saudi luxury market.
There is one timing detail worth watching. Oberoi’s own website still carries earlier references to a late-2026 or October 2026 opening, while the company’s latest announcement reported by The Economic Times now places the opening in Q1 2027, suggesting the schedule has shifted.
When it does welcome guests, The Oberoi Sukoonvilas will have the distinction of opening Wadi Safar’s hotel chapter.
For Oberoi, that means more than another international resort. It gives the brand the opportunity to help define the hospitality identity of an entirely new Saudi luxury destination.
