Recently completed in 2025, the Retal Rise Tower in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, is the latest luxury development on the Khobar Corniche. The Penetron system was implemented to ensure the long-term durability and watertight performance of the raft foundation beneath both towers and the retaining walls.
Al-Khobar, a coastal city of about 410,000 on the Persian Gulf, combines a modern urban landscape with a sandy shoreline. Along Corniche Road, the city’s main boulevard, visitors can walk near Half Moon Bay and a series of beaches.
Adjacent to the Corniche, the Retal Rise Tower and Nobu Hotel are in Al-Khobar’s Al Nakheel district. The development comprises two towers: a 25-story residential tower with 129 luxury apartments, and a 16-story tower housing the Nobu Hotel, with 101 rooms and 62 Nobu Residences apartments, as well as the Nobu Restaurant and a café.
The Penetron system was specified to provide long-term durability and watertight protection for the raft foundation beneath both towers and for the retaining walls. The structural waterproofing strategy for the Retal Rise project included the following:
-
PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline waterproofing admixture with tracer, was added to the concrete at a dosage rate of 1 percent of cement content and used to treat 8,000 m3 of concrete.
-
PENEBAR SW-45 swellable waterstops were installed at all construction and cold joints, forming an active barrier that expands in the presence of water to prevent leakage through jointed areas.
-
PENETRON, a topical crystalline waterproofing material, was applied to selected retaining-wall surfaces for added protection, providing another line of defense against hydrostatic pressure and aggressive groundwater conditions.
-
PENECRETE MORTAR, a waterproofing mortar, was used to repair small surface cracks, voids and honeycombing in the raft foundation and retaining walls, as well as tie-rod holes and other penetrations.
