Blacksand

What Blacksand does

Blacksand is a Saudi Arabian real estate development and management company headquartered in Riyadh, operating across the Kingdom's Central, Western, Hijaz, and Eastern regions. The company develops and manages hotels, residential villa communities, commercial office and retail space, and master-planned districts, operating a built platform of 11 assets valued at SAR 6.8 billion with a SAR 40 billion forward development pipeline. Its product surface spans four core lines: branded hotel and hospitality development through operating agreements with Marriott International and other global operators; residential villa sales in delivered Riyadh communities; commercial leasing of an office destination and open-air mall in Riyadh; and five master-planned districts across Riyadh, Madinah, Eastern Province, and Taif, supported by an 8 million m² land bank.

The company generates revenue through three distinct streams: managed-services income from hotel development and operating partnerships; one-time sales revenue from residential villa units sold to individual buyers; and recurring leasing revenue from commercial office and retail tenants. Its go-to-market is direct and enquiry-driven, with dedicated sales and leasing teams accessed through the website's contact forms, phone, and WhatsApp. There is no proprietary technology platform disclosed; the underlying stack consists of standard third-party infrastructure (Microsoft Azure, Cloudflare) supporting the enquiry and communications workflow.

Blacksand is a subsidiary of Alabdullatif Holding Group, a multi-generational Saudi industrial conglomerate spanning cement, furniture, building materials, and real estate. The parent's industrial footprint provides potential vertical integration across the development supply chain, while the June 2026 Marriott International agreement for 10 hotels and 1,300+ rooms marks the company's most significant commercial milestone and a primary driver of forward hiring (30,000+ full-time and 15,000 construction positions projected, with 60% allocated to Saudi nationals). The business model is capital-intensive, long-cycle, and tightly aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 tourism and economic-diversification priorities.

Name

Blacksand

Legal name

Blacksand

Website

https://blacksand.sa

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Blacksand is a Saudi real estate developer building hotels, residential villa communities, commercial properties, and master-planned districts across Riyadh, Madinah, Eastern Province, and Taif, serving individual buyers, commercial tenants, and global hospitality operators including Marriott International.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hotel Development and Operations: Development and operation of hotels across Saudi Arabia through partnerships with global operators like Marriott International. The company signs operating agreements with international hotel brands to develop properties across luxury to extended-stay segments.
2. Residential Property Sales: Sale of villa communities and residential units to end buyers. Properties are delivered and selling in Riyadh, with the company accepting enquiries through direct sales channels.
3. Commercial Leasing: Leasing of office and retail spaces. The company operates an office destination and an open-air mall in Riyadh that are currently available for lease.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Blacksand develops, sells, and leases hospitality, residential, commercial, and mixed-use real estate projects across Saudi Arabia, anchored by a SAR 6.8 billion built platform of 11 assets and a SAR 40 billion development pipeline. The portfolio includes Marriott-branded hotel development (10 hotels, 1,300+ rooms), residential villa communities in Riyadh, commercial office and retail leasing, and master-planned districts across Riyadh, Madinah, Eastern Province, and Taif supported by an 8 million m² land bank.

Product overview

Blacksand is a real estate development and management company and part of Alabdullatif Holding Group, operating a SAR 6.8 billion built platform with a SAR 40 billion development pipeline. The company offers an integrated portfolio of hotel/hospitality development (through partnerships with Marriott International and other global operators), residential villa communities in Riyadh, commercial leasing (office and retail spaces), and master-planned district developments across strategic Saudi locations. The hospitality segment represents a landmark deal to develop 10 Marriott-branded hotels with 1,300+ rooms, while the residential and commercial segments focus on Riyadh-based developments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hotel & Hospitality Development Hotel development and management partnerships with global operators, including a landmark agreement with Marriott International to develop 10 hotels across Saudi Arabia with over 1,300 rooms spanning luxury to extended-stay segments.
• Residential Villas (Riyadh) Residential villa communities developed and sold in Riyadh, with delivered communities and interest registration available for prospective buyers. Sales are handled via a dedicated sales team and direct enquiry.
• Commercial Leasing (Office & Retail) Commercial office and retail leasing opportunities in Riyadh, including an office destination and open-air mall space currently available for lease. Enquiries are handled via the dedicated leasing team.
• Master-Planned Districts Master-planned districts and urban developments across strategic Saudi locations including Riyadh (Khayal resorts), Madinah, Eastern Province (waterfront), and Taif (highlands), supported by an 8 million m² land bank and 5 master-plans.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 hotels with 1,300+ rooms to be developed across Saudi Arabia by 2030
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Marriott InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Blacksand and Marriott International signed a landmark agreement to develop 10 hotels with over 1,300 rooms across Saudi Arabia over four years, with the first property expected in Riyadh. The multi-brand deal spans luxury to extended-stay segments and is projected to generate 6,000+ full-time positions with 60% allocated to Saudi nationals. This agreement lays the foundation for future collaboration expanding their joint portfolio.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jabal Omar Development: Saudi-listed real estate developer focused on master-planned mixed-use developments near Makkah and Madinah. Comparable to Blacksand in its master-planning approach, mixed-use delivery, and concentration in Saudi holy cities, with overlap in hospitality supply.
• ROSHN: Saudi Arabia's largest residential developer, majority-owned by the Public Investment Fund. Directly comparable to Blacksand's residential development segment as a Saudi national champion building master-planned villa communities at scale under Vision 2030.
• Knowledge Economic City: Saudi-listed developer of master-planned cities in Madinah with residential, hospitality, and commercial components. Directly comparable to Blacksand in Madinah geography and master-planned mixed-use development model.
• Red Sea Global: Saudi tourism-focused developer behind The Red Sea and AMAALA giga-projects, with operating agreements including Marriott. Comparable to Blacksand in hospitality-led development strategy, partnership-driven hotel model, and Vision 2030 positioning.
• Diriyah Company: Saudi giga-project developer behind the Diriyah master-plan near Riyadh, integrating residential, hospitality, retail, and cultural assets. Comparable to Blacksand in master-planning model, Saudi geography, and mixed-use development format.
• Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development: Listed Saudi real estate developer operating across residential, commercial, and mixed-use segments domestically. Closely comparable to Blacksand in business model (developer selling/leasing), geography (KSA), and asset type breadth (villas, offices, retail, hospitality).

Regional players

• Aldar Properties: UAE-listed developer with master-planned communities, hospitality, and commercial leasing. Comparable to Blacksand's mixed-use master-planning approach and recurring-revenue commercial leasing, though operating in UAE rather than Saudi Arabia.

Broad incumbents

• Kingdom Holding Company: Saudi diversified conglomerate with real estate holdings including Kingdom Tower and Four Seasons hospitality. Comparable to Blacksand as a large Saudi principal with hospitality and real estate exposure, though operating as a diversified holding rather than pure developer.
• NEOM Company: Saudi Arabia's flagship giga-project developer under Vision 2030, with massive master-planned districts spanning residential, hospitality, and commercial uses. Comparable to Blacksand in Vision 2030 alignment and master-planning ambition, though at vastly larger scale and PIF-backed structure.
• Emaar Properties: UAE-headquartered GCC real estate developer with diversified residential, commercial, hospitality, and mall operations. Comparable to Blacksand in full-stack real estate development model and GCC operating footprint, though materially larger and more mature.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blacksand