Omani through and through

Six Senses Zighi Bay plants indigenous tree species and reuses water through reed-based biomimicry.

Think local
Unsurprisingly, the company was committed to sourcing materials locally, to ensure that it was both supporting the local community and preserving indigenous architecture.

The limestone used for the floors was extracted from the surrounding Hajar mountains, while date palms, known locally as ‘jareed’ were sourced from local plantations in Dibba.

Materials that could not be found locally were sourced from neighbouring countries such as India, from responsible, certified suppliers. “I believe that only by sourcing and using these local materials were we able to really produce an authentic product for our guests,” said Hammond.

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The design is effortlessly Omani – ceilings are constructed in traditional flat-beamed style, and date palm lattices make up shutters, doors, partitions and roofs. These are entwined with ‘jareed’ to allow inside temperatures to drop a few degrees, offering welcome respite in the hotter summer months.

In terms of landscaping, no trees or plants were removed during the construction of the resort. Instead, efforts were made to conserve the indigenous date palms, of which there are currently over 300 on site.

“We also re-plant local indigenous trees such as the Sidr and Shakr, which require a minimum amount of water, and are suited for the arid climate of this region,” Hammond noted.

Reiterating the company’s commitment to the environment, all water used on site is passed through an innovative reed bed and reused for flushing toilets and irrigating the landscape.

“By use of this bimomimicry technique, we let nature do what it does best – take care of itself sustainably. This also improves water consumption, as waste water is reused to irrigate the landscape instead of using fresh water,” said Hammond.

Taking things one step further, the resort designed its own water-producing plants – thus eliminating the considerable and unnecessary carbon emissions created by the long-distance transport of bottled drinking water.

Building smiles
The resort’s social and environmental efforts did not end once the building was complete. A series of initiatives have been introduced since then, including the Build a Smile campaign.

Currently in its second phase, ‘Build a Smile’ aims to renovate and rebuild 36 traditional houses in the neighbouring Zighy Bay Village over the next two years, in association with the Oman Ministry of Tourism.

The resort is asking for guest volunteers to trade four hours of community work a day, in return for doubling their stay at the resort. During phase one of the project, construction and plastering was completed on 18 houses.

Going into phase two, these homes will need to be painted and tiled whilst, at the same time, work needs to start on the final 18 houses. In addition to work on the villas, the plan is to implement a reed bed sewage treatment facility whereby waste water is treated naturally by the reed beds and subsequently used for irrigation purposes across the resort.

While Six Senses Hideaway Zighi Bay proves that luxury and sustainability are not mutually exclusive, there are still very few similar examples on the market, Hammond admitted.

“The approach is rare because no one believes it’s possible to combine the two without being coined as a “hippy eco lodge” and there is also a strong perception that there will be a low return on investment. Six Senses, however, has proved the opposite.

“Enjoying the natural rugged beauty of Zighi Bay without creating artificially manicured lawns and putting pressure on scarce water sources in the region is just an example of how being environmentally friendly in the simplest form can work.

“Luxury is not necessarily material possessions such as gold-plated marble bathrooms, but what busy city business people often lack – space and time. So by offering space in a natural environment and time to enjoy it guests get their luxury. When our competition catch on and see the success of our resorts I think this approach won’t be so rare anymore; it’s just a matter of time.”