Across a 47,126 m² catchment, NGS combined AquaCell 200 attenuation (sized for a 1-in-100-year storm, holding 2,333 m³) with an AquaCell 150 capillary passive-irrigation raft and GDRAIN 30 — attenuating runoff to the pre-development rate while recycling captured rainfall into the root zone, over occupied basements.
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is delivering a new headquarters in AlUla — a landmark office development set within climate-resilient landscaping over occupied basements, designed by Hopkins Architects, with Buro Happold as lead engineering consultant and Consolidated Contractors Company as main contractor. Across the scheme, lawns, planters and paved areas sit above a structural podium and basement slab. NGS was engaged to provide the integrated SuDS and passive-irrigation system beneath these landscaped and hardscape areas.
On a constrained podium above occupied basements — with no existing piped stormwater network nearby — the development had to control its own runoff and preserve the pre-development flow regime discharging to the wadi. The roughly 47,126 m² catchment generates far more runoff once built over, with runoff coefficients rising to around 0.9; flows had to be attenuated on the podium and released only at the pre-development rate, with storage sized for the 1-in-100-year, 24-hour storm. It also had to keep AlUla's planting healthy through a hot, arid climate while reducing reliance on supplied water — all achieved over waterproofed deck structures without compromising them, within an active multi-party programme.
NGS provided a modular AquaCell system serving two duties on the same podium. AquaCell 200 mm cells, wrapped in geomembrane, form the below-ground attenuation store — sized for the 1-in-100-year storm, holding 2,333 m³ and releasing only the pre-development flow toward the wadi. AquaCell 150 mm cells, combined with capillary cones and capillary geotextile, form a passive-irrigation raft beneath planters and lawns: stored water rises by capillary action into the root zone during dry periods, cutting irrigation demand, while NGS GDRAIN 30 handles roof and green-area drainage. Manufactured from polypropylene, AquaCell replaces traditional aggregate sub-base with a lightweight, high-void modular raft that installs quickly over waterproofed deck build-ups. NGS supported the works with shop drawings, certified installers, on-site supervision, and QA/QC to approved Method Statements and Inspection & Test Plans — backed by ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 management systems.
NGS delivered an integrated stormwater and passive-irrigation solution for a flagship RCU development — attenuating runoff to protect against flooding while recycling captured rainfall into the landscape by capillary rise, reducing reliance on supplied water. Engineered and accepted alongside Hopkins Architects, Buro Happold and Consolidated Contractors Company, the project further establishes NGS AquaCell as a proven, compliant alternative to traditional drainage across Saudi Arabia.
"From NEOM to AlUla, NGS delivers the unseen water infrastructure that lets the Kingdom's landmark landscapes thrive sustainably."
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