• Home
• Travel & Tourism
• News Article

Baker & McKenzie Advises Jabal Omar Development Company on US$5.5 billion Makkah Project

Manama, Bahrain 23 May 2011 - Baker & McKenzie has advised Jabal Omar Development Company on one of the largest hotel transactions in the Middle East, located in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Baker & McKenzie acted as owner's counsel in negotiations with Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott for the management and operation of 12 internationally branded hotels, the first of a series of international operators and brands to be offered at the Jabal Omar site. The Baker & McKenize team was lead by Gulf hotels and real estate specialist, Bilal Ambikapathy, and included Sydney Real Estate Partners Robert Williams and Caroline Ho and other Baker & McKenzie associates from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Sydney.

The signing ceremony took place in London on 17 May 2011. Hilton will manage six hotels, while Hyatt and Marriott will each manage three. Most of the hotel brands signed are in the 5-Star and 4-Star category. Jabal Omar Development Company anticipates entering into management agreements with six other international chains for the management and operation of around 14 other internationally branded hotels at the Jabal Omar site throughout the remainder of 2011, with Baker & McKenzie appointed as its legal counsel to act as owner's counsel in all hotel negotiations.

The US$5.5 billion mixed-use, hotels led project will also provide accommodation, once complete, for 45,000 pilgrims and is one of the biggest projects of its kind in the world, in terms of number of hotel units, number of management agreements and value of investment.

Commenting on the transaction Ian Siddell, Partner and Head of the Gulf Banking & Finance practice, stated: " Jabal Omar Development Company is an important client of Baker & McKenzie in the Kingdom and we are privileged to have been involved in such a landmark transaction. A project of such scale puts our Gulf Hospitality practice on the map and we look forward to assisting Jabal Omar on its future projects."

Baker & McKenzie recently announced the opening of its fifth MENA office in Doha, Qatar, and has been active in the region since the mid-1970s, opening its Riyadh office in 1980, Cairo in 1985, Bahrain in 1998 and Abu Dhabi in 2009.

- Ends-

About Baker & McKenzie
Founded in 1949, Baker & McKenzie advises many of the world's most dynamic and successful business organizations through more than 3,750 locally qualified lawyers and over 5,700 professional staff in 69 offices in 41 countries. Baker & McKenzie is known for having a deep understanding of the language and culture of business, an uncompromising commitment to excellence, and world-class fluency in its client service. Baker & McKenzie's global revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, were US$2.104 billion. Eduardo Leite is Chairman of the Firm's Executive Committee. (www.bakermckenzie.com)

Baker & McKenzie Limited - is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein with member law firms around the world. In accordance with the common terminology used in professional service organizations, reference to a "partner" means a person who is a partner, or equivalent, in such a law firm. Similarly, reference to an "office" means an office of any such law firm.

© Press Release 2011