THE Royal Greens Golf and Country Club at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) has won the International Best Leisure Development category at the prestigious International Property Awards (IPA) 2016 recently held in London. This is the first time a Saudi development has ever won in this category in the Awards' 24-year history. Royal Greens previously won the IPA award for Best Leisure Development in Saudi Arabia in October. At the global award ceremony, held in London earlier this month, Royal Greens received both the Best in Arabia Region and the Best International Award, beating stellar competition from across the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas. "If there was any question whether Saudi Arabia could compete at a global level in leisure and tourism, this award gives the definitive answer," said Fahd Al Rasheed, Group CEO and Managing Director of KAEC. "This is an unprecedented achievement and a clear validation of the government's objectives within Vision 2030 to expand the Kingdom's leisure and tourism economy." Royal Greens was also one of three developments at KAEC that were honored at the 2106 Cityscape Awards. Royal Greens was awarded Best Leisure and Hospitality Project for 2016 at the country's leading real estate forum in November this year. KAEC also won in the Best Future Commercial and Mixed Use Project and the Best Future Retail Project categories to collect half of the awards given at Cityscape 2016. "The Royal Greens Golf and Country Club is a world-class facility and one that will further elevate KAEC's status as a leading destination in Saudi Arabia and the region," said Charles Biele, CEO of Residential Development at KAEC. "Royal Greens and the adjacent premium Golf and Beach Communities at Al Murooj provide residents and visitors with a unique lifestyle experience unmatched anywhere regionally." Other honors for KAEC in 2016 include the Capital Finance International Award for Best Industrial and Integrated Service Project, presented in Hamburg, Germany earlier this year. "The awards that KAEC has won in 2016 are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our many partners who continue to deliver projects that meet and exceed the most demanding international standards," said Fahd Al Rasheed. "Through their efforts and the efforts of the leadership and team at the city, we are delivering on our mission to be driver of socio-economic development in the Kingdom."
