safarinet – follow up
His Excellency Minister of Tourism, Mr. Ahmed Al Khateeb, met with Federico J. González, CEO Radisson Hotel Group, who is currently visiting the Kingdom, to discuss the Group’s expansion plans aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Radisson Hotel Group is continuing its substantial expansion as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During the meeting, several strategic points were discussed, these include:
· The opening of a Radisson Hotel Group regional headquarters in Riyadh during 2022 in response to the growing portfolio of the Group in the Kingdom, becoming the largest country for RHG in the region.
· Generating many new job opportunities and committing to developing and creating exchange programs for Saudi talent in the hospitality sector.
· The Kingdom remains a key development area for the Group, and part of its five-year transformation plan, which aims to double is presence in the Kingdom. Today, the Group operates 24 hotels, resorts and serviced apartments in KSA and has another 20 under development.
· Radisson’s commitment to sustainable operations was also discussed, particularly Radisson’s Carbon Negative meetings program.
The Group continued its development momentum in the Kingdom including several milestones such as:
· Doubling of the Group’s presence in Jeddah with the addition of over 600 rooms, most of which will open in 2022 with the launch of the Radisson Individuals brand in the region as well as the recent opening of Radisson Hotel Riyadh Airport, with upcoming openings that include the Radisson Blu Hotel, Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center and bringing the second Radisson Collection hotel to Riyadh with Mansard Riyadh, a Radisson Collection Hotel.
· Also doubling the Group’s presence in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, adding nearly 1000 rooms and serviced apartments in Thakher City.
· Introduction of the 5th Radisson hotel in Riyadh with the opening of Radisson Blu Hotel, Riyadh Qurtuba
Building on the success of the Group’s five-year expansion and transformation plan, Radisson Hotel Group remains firmly committed to becoming the brand of choice for owners, partners, and guests. Radisson Hotel Group’s fast-growing portfolio will help to support Saudi Arabia’s goal of 100 million visitors by 2030. The Group’s Saudi Arabia portfolio now makes up around 50% of its presence in the Middle East region.
The announcement comes with the joint commitment between the Kingdom and the Group to contribute to sustainability, environmental awareness, and pledge responsible business measures to reflect initiatives in Saudi Arabia, including the Sustainable Tourism Global Center.
The Kingdom has plans to develop 854,000 more hotel rooms, with 70% being private-sector funded. After opening to international tourism in 2019, Saudi Arabia issued more than 400,000 eVisas – briefly becoming the fastest-growing tourism destination in the world before the pandemic.
The Ministry of Tourism is on track to meet Vision 2030 and National Tourism Strategy goals, including tourism contributing to 10% of GDP, creating one million new jobs and ensuring Saudi Arabia becomes a top 5 global tourist destination.
Speaking after the meeting, His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism commented: “Radisson’s commitment to not only develop new hotels in the country but also establish a dedicated regional office is a strong vote of confidence in the progress that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is making towards its goal of 100 million visitors by 2030. Working closely with leading global hotel brands such as Radisson is an integral part of our plans and continuing to partner with the private sector is an important part of the future of the tourism in Saudi Arabia.”
Federico J. González, CEO, Radisson Hotel Group said: “I am proud to be visiting Saudi Arabia and it has been an honor to meet with His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Al Khateeb as we reaffirm our commitment to the Kingdom and we continue to expand our portfolio of hotels and brands. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains a key development area for us, evident in our fast expansion within the country aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.”