OpeningsAmanWadi Safar, Saudi Arabia
A first look at Amansamar
Saudi Arabia’s first Aman, an 80-key Jean-Michel Gathy resort in the Wadi Safar masterplan
Expected 2027 Not bookable yet
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First look
Amansamar is slated for 2027 in Wadi Safar, near Diriyah on the edge of Riyadh. The plan is an 80-key resort plus residences designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, sitting inside the larger Wadi Safar masterplan. It would be Saudi Arabia’s first Aman, part of the country’s broader push into high-end tourism.
What we’ll be watching
Whether 80 suites is actually enough to carry Aman’s peace-and-privacy promise in a masterplanned community that also runs a Greg Norman golf course, polo fields and a racquet club. The amenity stack is unusually loaded for a brand that normally keeps things spare — we’ll be watching whether the resort reads as an Aman or as a country club with an Aman sign.
Whether the hammam-and-banya spa program reflects anything genuinely rooted in local tradition or just imports a wellness formula onto the Arabian Peninsula. The name ‘samar’ leans into desert storytelling culture, which sets a real bar for how deep the cultural grounding goes.
Whether Jean-Michel Gathy’s desert take holds up at close range. Gathy’s work tends to photograph extremely well — Amanjiwo, Amanyara — but a Saudi site without the forested valley or turquoise sea backdrop lives or dies on the materiality and the detail. We’ll find out when we visit.
Whether 2027 sticks. This is a new-build inside a large phased development, next to the Wadi Safar golf and equestrian complex that was itself still opening in stages. Masterplan dependencies are the most common cause of a slip, and the surrounding infrastructure matters as much as the hotel here.
Photos
Renderings and press imagery, courtesy of the hotel. Details may change before opening.
Before it opens
When does Amansamar open?
Amansamar is slated to open in 2027, according to the Aman pipeline and trade press. Some sources say 2026–2027, but the realistic target is 2027. As with any new-build inside a larger masterplan, treat the date as expected rather than fixed — delivery depends on the wider Wadi Safar development coming together on schedule.
Where is Amansamar located?
It sits in Wadi Safar, a gated community on the outskirts of Riyadh near Diriyah — the UNESCO-listed mud-brick city of At-Turaif is close by. The address puts it on Saudi Arabia’s most prominent cultural-tourism corridor rather than a remote desert site.
Is this Aman’s first hotel in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Amansamar is reported to be Aman’s first property in the kingdom, and the first time the brand has entered Saudi Arabia. The project is developed in partnership with Diriyah Company, the state-backed entity behind the wider Wadi Safar masterplan.
How many rooms will Amansamar have?
The hotel is planned at 80 suites, alongside 37 branded residences — five- and six-bedroom villas on private plots starting from 9,000 square meters. The residences are marketed as the first Aman-branded residences in Saudi Arabia.
What restaurants and facilities will Amansamar have?
Confirmed facilities include an Aman Spa with hammam and banya houses and hydrotherapy, multiple pools, a Racquet Club, multiple dining venues and a Kids’ Club. The wider Wadi Safar site gives access to a Greg Norman-designed Royal Signature Golf Course and polo and equestrian facilities. Architecture and interiors are by Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston Architects, the studio behind Amanjiwo and Amanyara.
Will Fat Voyage score Amansamar?
We publish a Fat Score only once a hotel is open and real guests have stayed and written about it — drawn from luxury travel communities, editorial publications, and verified guests, never paid placements. This is a first look, not a verdict; we’ll score it once there’s enough independent signal to be fair.
