THE MIDDLE EAST’S
Top 50 Travel
& Tourism Leaders
9. John Pagano
Company: Red Sea Development Company
Designation: CEO
Country: Saudi Arabia
Nationality: Canadian
Sector: Tourism
John Pagano joined the Red Sea Development as CEO in January 2018. The project is being developed over 28,000 square kilometers along Saudi Arabia’s west coast and includes an archipelago of more than 90 islands. The first phase of development is due for completion by the end of 2023, with a total of 16 hotels set to offer 3,000 hotel rooms across five islands and two inland sites. Over 700 contracts have been signed to date, worth over $5 billion. Before joining TRSDC, Pagano headed his own company, Old Fort Capital Investments Ltd, which offered advice and services to the real estate sector.