Hilton plans 46 new hotels in Saudi Arabia: Exec

Amir Lababedi, Hilton's Managing Director Development Middle East & North Africa

Hilton plans to open 46 new hotels in the coming years, bringing the total number of rooms in the Kingdom to more than 13,000, Amir Lababedi, Managing Director Development Middle East & North Africa, told Argaam.

He added that this highlights the expected demand in the market. 

The Kingdom is a promising market for the expansion of Hilton's portfolio of brands. It is the destination where the hotel operator plans to open the largest number of hotels in the Middle East over the coming years.

Hilton seeks to increase the number of hotels under existing brands and introduce new brands, providing variant styles of hospitality in the local market, Lababedi said. 

He further said the number of hotels managed by Hilton in the Kingdom rose to 16, with the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Riyadh Financial District in early 2022. Thus, the total number of hotel rooms managed by the hotel operator under five of its brands reached 5,390.

Elsewhere, the official said Hilton has been operating in the Saudi market for more than 25 years. It witnessed and contributed to the tangible achievements of the tourism sector, in line with Vision 2030.

The Kingdom attracted several experts to the travel and tourism sector from around the world during the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) summit. It presented the great developments achieved in the field of infrastructure, in addition to the under-development projects, to be among the global tourist destinations that provide tourism options, including entertainment, culture and religious tourism. 

He added that Saudi Arabia has promising potential in the tourism sector, through the remarkable efforts and huge government investments to support the sector’s growth. This includes the announcement of plans to establish King Salman International Airport, and development of existing and new destinations around the Kingdom, such as the mega projects Diriyah Gate, Masar, NEOM and Red Sea, which reflect the Kingdom's promising potential.

During the WTTC summit, Hilton signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Tourism Development Fund to develop family entertainment destinations in some locations across the Kingdom.

It also inked an agreement with the Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) to establish the Waldorf Astoria Diriyah Hotel, which will be Hilton’s second signed property with the authority. Last year, the hotel operator announced signing a deal with DGDA to establish the first LXR Hotels & Resorts Hotel in the Kingdom.

Additionally, the hotel operator concluded agreements with Alshaya Group to roll out Canopy by Hilton Al Khobar Ajdan Waterfront and Hampton by Hilton Hafr Al-Batin. It plans to open these hotels within the next few years.

Hilton endeavors to strengthen its presence in Saudi Arabia by adding more than 75 hotels in the coming years, in addition to introducing more brands, including Canopy by Hilton, Motu by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton and Embassy Suites by Hilton, according to Lababedi.