Saudi Arabia's Desert Rock is a surreal resort where villas hang from stone pinnacles, swimming pools appear suspended in midair and the restaurant is reached by a suspension bridge. Olivia Palamountain reports

Desert Rock Resort is now open for reservations in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea destination, featuring accommodation carved directly into cliff faces to create what must be one of the most dramatically integrated resort designs in the Middle East.

The property mushrooms across 30,000 sqm of mountainous desert terrain, dotted by 64 villas that appear to defy gravity; Mountain Crevice Villas hang from rock pinnacles with pools that appear to float; Mountain Cave Suites are built into the massif itself with cliffside plunge pools; Cliff Hanging Villas are constructed into the mountainside and Wadi Villas occupy the valley floor.

A three-bedroom Royal Villa sits in a secluded section of the property. Interiors by Studio Paolo Ferrari use stone and sand alongside custom furniture and lighting designed to reference torchlight.   Six restaurants and bars are overseen by Turkish chef Osman Sezener, known for Michelin-starred establishments in Bodrum and Izmir. The Observatory restaurant sits high above the resort, accessed via a 120m suspension bridge spanning the massif. The venue serves pastries paired with beverages including the Planet Ispahan, a mocktail with a rose ice ball that changes flavour as it melts.

Nyra focuses on wood-fired cooking, smoking and curing. Basalt serves modern Indian cuisine with live music, dance and fire performances. Poolside Wadi offers Peruvian food with DJ sets, whilst The Library transitions from daytime tea and coffee service to evening mocktails and jazz.The resort operates without alcohol in accordance with Saudi Arabian regulations, making it one of the first ultra-luxury properties globally to position alcohol-free beverages as the primary draw rather than a limitation. Mica, the bar, serves mocktails with outdoor fire pits and indoor bar seating.

Activities include rock climbing, abseiling, zip-lining, telescope-based stargazing, desert survival skills training and hiking routes ranging from beginner to advanced difficulty. The desert location maintains an average annual temperature of 32°C.The spa uses products from wellness brands Amra and Dr. Burgener, offering treatments including the Moonlight Meteorite Massage with high mineral content meteorite extracts, the Cellular Gold Rejuvenation Hammam with cellular gold and vitamin C exfoliation, and the Desert Rock Signature Ritual featuring chakra-cleansing yoga, massage with 24-karat gold-plated stones and a gold-infused facial.

Desert Rock's architecture represents a departure from typical luxury hospitality, where buildings usually create controlled environments separate from harsh desert conditions. The integration of accommodation directly into rock formations in a region with extreme temperatures and regular sandstorms suggests significant engineering achievement.The resort emphasises "hafawa", described as the Saudi tradition of genuine caring hospitality, though the property operates under international luxury standards.

The development reflects Saudi Arabia's accelerated push to attract international leisure tourists to a country that until recently restricted visitor access primarily to business travellers and religious pilgrims. The kingdom is effectively building a luxury tourism industry from scratch, competing against established regional players like the UAE and Qatar that have decades of hospitality infrastructure and experience.

Reservations are now open for Desert Rock Resort. The property joins other Red Sea development projects including beach resorts and coral reef conservation areas as part of the broader destination build-out expected to continue through the remainder of the decade.