RED Sea Housing Services Company, a provider of high-quality housing and building materials solutions, has announced that it has reached a strategic alliance with Direcional Engenharia, a Brazilian developer specialized in affordable housing solutions. The highlight of the newly formed alliance is the signing of two agreements covering technical services and a joint venture between the two parties. The move complements Red Sea Housing 's vision of providing affordable housing solutions for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's rapidly expanding population. The global housing secto was estimated to be valued at $ 800 billion in 2014 – offering home builders with lucrative market opportunities especially in the Middle East. Within the region, Saudi Arabia real estate and construction sectors have recently witnessed a boom, driven by the rising demand for homes for local residents. According to recent reports, the Kingdom will need nearly 1.25 million residential homes by 2018 to keep pace with its growing population, which is expected to reach 37.2 million people by 2020. To ensure adequate supply, the Saudi Ministry of Housing has adopted an ambitious target to build 500,000 affordable homes for Saudis, which has recently entered the implementation phase. Joseph Vecchiolla, CEO and Managing Director of Red Sea Housing , said: "We look forward to working closely with "Direcional Engenharia" to deliver affordable residential homes of unmatched value, quality and scale. We are very optimistic about this alliance which combines the Red Sea's vast knowledge, its local and global experience with Direcional's expertise of developing high quality affordable communities that will offer Saudi families access to affordable homes." Direcional Engenharia is a leading publicly listed company in Brazil that has built a reputation for delivering affordable homes under the country's unique 'Minha Casa, Minha Vida' (My House, My Life) program. In 2014, Direcional delivered an average of 1,540 homes per month to meet the needs of families throughout Brazil. They have contracted over 90,000 affordable homes in Brazil under the Minha Casa Minha Vida Housing Program. In 2014, Direcional Engenharia generated sales of more than SR2.15 billion ($575 million). "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has emerged as a preferred destination for real estate investment within the GCC due to the large demand, particularly from the residential segment. We believe the need for affordable homes will grow at an unprecedented rate between 2015 through 2020 and beyond. In addition, we believe housing is one of GCC's most valuable market with estimated USD 495 billion worth of projects under various stages of construction. Direcional Engenharia is fully committed to working closely with Red Sea Housing which has long been known for its swift delivery of affordable housing solutions throughout Saudi Arabia and beyond." Ricardo Ribeiro Valadares Gontijo, the Managing Director of Direcional Engenharia. With presence in 60-plus countries, Red Sea Housing Services Company is the world's leading designer, manufacturer, financier and manager of large-scale accommodation solutions, with specialist expertise in supplying building materials, affordable housing to economically-developing countries and fast, turnkey satellite living localities to the construction, energy and Government sectors globally— SG
