Tourism & Hospitality | Friday 13 May, 2016 5:37 am |

 International hotelier companies are expected to enter the Saudi market during the coming four years to build or operate about 75 hotels, a senior official of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) has said.

“The commission has paved the way for the arrival of these international companies through the organization and development of the hotel industry in the Kingdom,” said Salah Al-Bakheet Al-Talib, deputy chairman of the commission.

Local daily Al-Jazirah on Wednesday quoted Talib as saying that the entry of international hotel operators in the Kingdom would raise the quality of the market, enrich variety and expand available choices that would cater to the needs of tourists and visitors. He revealed that Schweppes, the famous hotel company, will enter the Kingdom with 40-50 hotels to be distributed among various regions. The company owns and operates major hotels in the world.

Talib said the entry of these companies in the Kingdom will promote local tourism and boost the tourism industry. “These companies will make our tourism extremely attractive and enable us to compete on both the regional and international levels,” he said.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is expecting to record more than 40 percent growth across the Middle East in the next three to five years, with 25 new hotels in the pipeline.

Currently, the group operates 78 hotels in GCC, Levant, and Egypt alone, following a well-rounded 2015, when it added five new hotels to its books, including the world’s largest Holiday Inn in Saudi Arabia with 5,154 rooms.
The company is placing a special focus on midmarket hotels, with many GCC States addressing the lack of affordable options for low-budget and family travelers.