Even in the Middle East, where oil and natural gas often seem abundant, the focus among public and private sectors is slowly shifting towards alternative energy sources. As the age of peak oil is approaching and the urgency of global warming is gaining ground, alternative sources of energy are gaining increasing attention even here. At Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay, we are currently dependent on the local grid, fueled by fossil fuels, but it is our aim to constitute a demand in the future for renewable energy. In the meantime, we strive to reduce our need for energy through operating procedures and energy-efficient appliances. Naturally ventilated and shaded areas are incorporated in the design of the resort, further reducing our need for energy.

In addition to the efforts we take on a resort level to reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases, and of carbon dioxide (C02) in particular, Six Senses has established the Six Senses Carbon Offset Programme, a programme destined to offset the C02 emissions related to our guests’ flights as well as their stay at our Six Senses Resorts. The programme which has been set up in partnership with the Converging World, funds wind-turbines in Tamil Nadu, South India that will generate renewable energy, replacing polluting coal-fired power plants. Revenue generated from this green energy will go to support non-governmental organizations and community projects in India and elsewhere.

Fresh water is a very scarce resource in the Middle East and natural aquifers are no longer sufficient to supply the quantities needed. Instead, almost all of the fresh water in the Middle East is derived from desalinating sea water. Desalination is an energy-intense and polluting process which therefore should call for water-saving and efficiency measures. At Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay, we have procedures in place that strive to minimize the amount of water we need. For the water that we do use, it is treated on site and reused for flushing toilets and for irrigation of our date palms. Part of our water-saving efforts is also to only have native plants such as date palm trees that require minimum irrigation. No artificial lawns or green areas are part of our Hideaway; instead we rely on the natural beauty of this place.

At Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay we consider waste being an unused resource. Based on this approach, we try to reduce the amount of waste we generate in the first place, to reuse what we can, and send as much as possible for recycling. Hazardous wastes such as batteries and printer cartridges are taken care of separately and are safely disposed off. What cannot be taken care of by us or the recycling company sadly ends up in a landfill. The landfill reflects the general approach to waste management in this region, but we are actively trying to promote recycling here and to make other resorts to start recycling as well. Our hosts also undergo training to be able to separate the waste at its source. This creates sensitivity among our hosts towards

We believe that in our dealings with our business partners we should display the environmental and social values that we stand for. In practice this means having a dialogue with our suppliers on how to reduce packaging, guiding them to source environmentally friendly products and to favor those suppliers that support fair trade or community projects. To ensure our purchasing decisions follow the above, we have put in place our Sustainable Purchasing Policy.

We are very proud to have our Hideaway in this unique part of Oman. With this comes a great responsibility towards the environment and its inhabitants and at Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay we strive therefore to contribute to the conservation of our natural surroundings. Regular clean up activities of the beach, awareness-raising among hosts and local community and low-impact excursions with our guests, are examples of how we try to preserve our natural surroundings in Musandam.