The hospitality industry in Saudi Arabia - A booming sector

Under the Patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), MICE Arabia and dmg :: events are proud to host The Hotel Summit Saudi Arabia, co-located with Hotel Show Saudi Arabia.

Growing domestic demand, a strong corporate sector and the continued expansion of religious tourism are all fuelling development of the hotel industry, with global names eyeing Saudi Arabia as a key potential market.

With a government push to stimulate domestic travel through the auspices of the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities (SCTA) that recently codified the Saudi Arabia hotel rating and assessment system, the continued growth of religious Hajj and Umrah tourism, all key ingredients are gathered to position the country in the exclusive league of most sought after hotel investment territories.

HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, President and Board Chairman of the SCTA has announced the long-term vision for the country's hospitality sector as:

• Increasing visitor influx from 47 million in 2008 to 88 million in 2020
• Doubling the number of hotel rooms from 120,000 to 255,000 in the same period
• Fostering job creation by providing 2.3 million jobs by 2020
• Raising the value of commercial interior fit-out to US$821 million