17 February 2016
Saudi Arabia: A record 47,431 rooms and 124 hotel projects are currently under development in Saudi Arabia, according to a new report.

The majority of projects are in the final construction and pre-opening stages with 52 projects and almost 20,000 rooms set to open to the public throughout the Kingdom this year, says the new report by TOPHOTELPROJECTS commissioned by The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2016.

Hotels with a 2016 opening date include: The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah (March); Kempinski Al Othman Hotel in Al Khobar (May); and Nobu Hotel Riyadh, the first Nobu hotel in the Kingdom, reported to open in June.

"This is going to be a record year for hotel openings in Saudi Arabia, with 19,867 rooms set to enter the market. Saudi is now the second largest hub for hotel construction in the Middle East and Africa, behind only the UAE," said Christine Davidson, group event director of the dmg events hospitality portfolio, organisers of The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom's largest supply event for the hospitality industry. "Saudi remains the leading tourist destination in the region and religious tourist figures are forecast to reach new heights with Government improvements to infrastructure, and developments to the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah. The opportunities for smart hoteliers and restaurateurs are significant."

Hilton Worldwide has the largest hotel pipeline in Saudi Arabia with 28 properties set to be added to the market in the coming years, alongside the 10 hotels currently trading in the Kingdom across its multi-brand portfolio.

Carlos Khneisser, Vice President of Development, Hilton Worldwide Middle East & North Africa said: "With 20 years of operations in KSA, 10 hotels trading and more than 28 in the pipeline, Hilton Worldwide's presence in Saudi Arabia continues to go from strength-to-strength. The agreement for our first Hampton by Hilton in KSA in 2015 highlights the success of our multi-brand development strategy - which is bolstered by a strong and diverse domestic and religious tourism market seeking outstanding hospitality across our portfolio of award-winning brands in the Kingdom."

Khneisser continued: "Alongside our investment in hotel development in KSA - where we already operate four brands; have recently opened our second Hilton Garden Inn hotel and look forward to opening the luxurious Conrad Makkah later this year - Hilton Worldwide is committed to growing our talent with our presence, through creating opportunities for Saudi youth in the Kingdom's hospitality sector."

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2016 is the only event in the Kingdom which caters to the entire spectrum of the hospitality industry - showcasing everything needed to build, develop, operate and maintain a hotel in Saudi Arabia. Exhibitors at the 2016 event, on 17-19th May 2016 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events, include: RAK Porcelain; LG Electronics; CMT Technologies; CHIBIB Trading; Creative Closets; and SALTO Systems. Find out more:www.thehotelshowsaudiarabia.com.

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About
The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia is organised by dmg events and M.I.C.E Arabia and belongs to the dmg hospitality portfolio comprising of The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia, The Hotel Show Dubai, The Food & Hotel Show New Delhi, The Leisure Show Dubai, Piscine Middle East, The Middle East Hotel Awards, The Middle East Pool & Spa Awards, The Vision Conference and TecSec Summit.

The Hotel Show 
100% Hospitality for the hotel, restaurant, café and foodservice industry

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia (17-19 May 2016, Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events) and The Hotel Show Dubai (17-19 September 2016, Dubai World Trade Centre) are pivotal business forums for the hospitality industry in the Middle East and Africa. Working with Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, industry associations, and partners, the 2016 shows include visionary features, extensive educational content (through the Vision Conference) and other knowledge sharing platforms together with senior level networking. Find out more or register to attend FREE at www.thehotelshowsaudiarabia.com or www.thehotelshow.com

dmg events Middle East & Asia
An international exhibitions and publishing company, dmg events Middle East and Asia has operated in the Middle East since 1995. With than 40 market-leading exhibitions for the global energy, construction, coatings, hospitality and interior design industries, dmg events organise many of the world's most important events including ADIPEC (global energy industry), The Big 5 (construction industry), INDEX (interior design industry) and The Hotel Show (the hospitality industry).

Spanning the globe's emerging markets, dmg events organise events across the Middle East, North & East Africa, South East Asia and South America. The events attract more than 250,000 customers every year and provide opportunities for trade professional to do business, network and learn. For more information visit www.dmgeventsme.com

dmg events is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT www.dmgt.com), an international portfolio of digital, information, media and events businesses listed on the London stock exchange.

For more information and/or images please contact Heather Macpherson, PR Manager of the dmg events hospitality portfolio on +971 4 445 3749 or heathermacpherson@dmgeventsme.com

© Press Release 2016