Spa consultancy Raison d'Etre has devised a new spa concept in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that consists of two separate buildings, one for men and one for women, with an underground connection.

Anna Bjurstam, CEO of Raison d'Etre, said: "Having the male and female services in two separate buildings gives us the opportunity to truly differentiate the male and the female experience, more than ever before.

"It ties perfectly in with our focus groups, where we found several preferential differences between Saudi men and women."

To research the project, Raison d'Etre carried out a number of focus groups.

One of the findings was that 75 per cent of both men and women interviewed were "very interested" in alternative medicine while services such as hairdressing (barber services and grooming for men) were much more important for women than for men.