1,487
Worldwide is developing seven new hotels equating to 1,450 keys in Riyadh; InterContinental Hotel Group’s (IHG’s) four projects in the city include a Crowne Plaza at the ITCC (Information Technology Communications Complex) – a smart city similar to Dubai Internet City; and Rezidor’s Riyadh pipeline includes two Radisson Blu and a Park Inn, says Wilkinson. A number of other operators are
planning more than one property in Riyadh including Accor (Sofi tel and Suite Novotel), Best Western, Cristal, Hyatt (Hyatt Regency and Park Hyatt), Marriott (two Courtyards), Millennium and Rotana (Centro and Rayhaan).
NEW ADDITIONS Several properties of note have opened in Saudi Arabia over the last 18 months including the 1,487-room Swissôtel Makkah, the Al Marwa Rayhaan by Rotana, also housed in the towering Abraj Al Bait complex. There is also the 326-room Crowne Plaza Riyadh, the 283-room Holiday Inn Riyadh Meydan, both operated by IHG and the 300-room Four Points by Sheraton Mall of Arabia in Jeddah, which has more than 900 square metres of conference space. The 257-room Hyatt Regency Riyadh, which will feature more than 550 square metres of event space and a number of small meeting rooms, is set to open in 2014. Other new properties featuring
signifi cant meetings facilities include the 287-room Fairmont Riyadh, Business Gate, part of a mixed-use development housing a 4,000-square-metre convention centre, the 240-room Hyatt Regency Jeddah (H2, 2015), featuring 1,700 square metres of meeting space as well as a ballroom, and its sister property in the city, the 400-room Grand Hyatt Jeddah, (early 2016) with 5,700 square metres of meeting and events space. French hotel group Accor is enforcing its
presence in Saudi Arabia too. Its fl agship property in the kingdom is the Sofi tel Riyadh, which offers 400 rooms and meeting facilities in a new complex that houses a convention centre. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has also identifi ed the potential in
Jeddah and Makkah following the success of The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, which has 5,800 square metres of meeting space, but no new property details have been revealed to date.
VENUES AND ATTRACTIONS In addition to the signifi cant meeting spaces opening at new hotels Saudi- wide, the country is also planning to develop a number of new venues, as well as enhancements to existing ones. The state-of-the-art Conference Center
in the new King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh provides 1,500 square metres of conference facilities and includes a multi-purpose event hall, 600-seat auditorium with full lecture and cinema support and a ‘digital forum’ approach that allows all venues to be internally and externally networked. Conference rooms are designed as immersive four- wall video environments with retractable projection screens that allow users to conduct virtual video meetings. In Jeddah, the US$1.6 billion (SAR6 billion)
Prince Sultan Cultural Center project – a mixed-use development located to the north of the city – will feature an exhibition and events area plus a conference centre and an open-air theatre, all of which will cover 60,000 square metres. Regional locations are also focusing
on the meetings industry, with a recent gathering of the Asir Tourism Development Council discussing the need for a strategy encompassing accommodation,
T e number of rooms in the new Swissôtel Makkah, which is said to be the largest hotel in the world
tourism attractions and transportation to attract specialised conventions and exhibitions to the Asir province. The SCTA is investing in tourism
attractions kingdom-wide with a view to complementing its business offering. Cultural- and heritage- focused sites are top of the agenda. Contracts valued at more than US$89
million have already been awarded for the construction of fi ve regional museums – in Dammam, Hail, Tabuk, Asir and Al Baha – while the restoration of historical sites is also underway, according the aforementioned Hotel Summit report. Other areas earmarked for development
include shopping, adventure, eco and health tourism with the development of the fi rst natural sulphur spring resort recently announced for Hafr Al Batin. Events and festivals are another priority
with 66 tourist events staged by the SCTA at archaeological and heritage sites in various regions of the kingdom in 2012. The SCTA says these events
“represented investment opportunities” and generated “cultural, economic and social benefi ts” involving restaurants, souks and local craftsmen. With the authority pledging almost
US$211.7 million (SAR794 million) in the 2013 general state budget, compared to US$187 million (SAR703 million) the previous year, more funds are expected to be ploughed into similar heritage-focused initiatives over the next 12 months.
3
1 King Abdullah Economic City 2 King Abdullah Financial District Conference Centre 3 Hilton Riyadh Hotel Residence
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