The Radisson Group, US-headquartered international hotel chain, has revealed its plans to expand activities in Saudi Arabia with 20 new hotels over the next three years in key cities including Makkah and Jeddah.
With this expansion, Radisson will offer 600 hotel rooms in Jeddah and about 1,000 hotel rooms in Makkah. The new hotels will be added to the 24 hotels, resorts and hotel units currently being operated by the Group in the Kingdom.
Radisson Group aims to boost its investment portfolio in the Kingdom to around 50 percent of its total investments in the Middle East by 2026. The Group’s announcement was made following a meeting between Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism Mr. Ahmed Al-Khatib and Radisson Group’s CEO Mr. Federico Gonzalez.
Commenting on the Group’s ambitious expansion plan, the Minister said, “The commitment of Radisson Hotel Group to developing new hotels in the Kingdom and opening a regional office in Riyadh is an effective contribution to enhance the steps taken by the Kingdom to achieve its goal of receiving 100 million visits by 2030.”
The Group is set to open a regional office in Riyadh this year to support plans to double its operational portfolio by adding more hotels in various regions. Other hotels scheduled to be launched include the Radisson Blu Hotel at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Mansard Hotel and the Radisson Collection Hotel, the second hotel for the luxury brand “Radisson Collection” in Riyadh.
The Radisson move will be a major boost to the National Tourism Development Strategy, which aims to make available 854,000 new hotel rooms, 70 percent of which will be financed by the local and foreign private sectors, in line with Vision 2030 target to hit 100 million visit benchmark in the next 10 years.
“This cooperation is a continuation of our partnerships with world-leading hotel brands,” the Minister stated, stressing that continuing the collaboration with the private sector is a vital element of the Kingdom’s tourism strategy.
