Hospitality in Saudi Arabia is no longer just about infrastructure or service - it’s about identity, culture, talent, and future leadership, Prince Bandar bin Saud bin Khalid Al Saud, Secretary General, King Faisal Foundation (KFF) and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Al Khozama Investment Company, has said.

 

In his official opening remarks at the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Saudi Arabia,  Prince Bandar said: “It is about creating opportunities for the people of this country to tell their story, and to shape the experience of those who come to discover it.” 

 

The address was delivered in the presence of Mahmoud Abdulhadi, Deputy Minister of Tourism for Destination Enablement, Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, who also took to the stage to discuss “Where Vision Shapes Opportunity”.

 

FHS Saudi Arabia is underway at the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh, from May 11 to 13.

 

Under the theme “Where Vision Shapes Opportunity,”  FHS Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s most influential hospitality investment conference, brings together hospitality leaders, investors and decision-makers to discuss hotel performance and development, the outlook for hospitality investment in the Kingdom and the key market trends driving the sector.

 

The FHS Saudi Arabia programme, which covers everything from start-ups to staffing and innovation to investment over three days, features 150+ speakers across 80 sessions in 18 different content tracks, covering key themes including Investment, Financing & Real Estate, Destination Development, Technology & Innovation, Sustainability & ESG, and Luxury, F&B and Experiential Hospitality.

 

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench, organizer of FHS Saudi Arabia, said: “We are delighted to be back at the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh, thanks to our host sponsor Al Khozama Investment and look forward to a very exciting few days of strong debate and valuable insights from the region’s most respected and experienced leaders to help shape the future of our industry.”

 

Khalid Saud AbuHaimed, Chief Executive Officer, Al Khozama Investment, commented: “Our partnership with FHS reflects our belief in the power of hospitality to drive opportunity and excellence.”

 

The event kicked off yesterday with the launch of the NextGen: Investment Forum, a brand new, first-of-its-kind event that tackled the key issues and opportunities surrounding education, training, and talent retention in Saudi Arabia's hospitality industry. With 1 million new tourism jobs predicted by 2030 and 320,000 new hotel rooms, investing in the next generation of leaders in hospitality is fundamental to delivering KSA’s Vision 2030 goals.

 

The action-packed agenda features a wide variety of session formats from main stage keynotes, panel discussions and exclusive leadership conversations, master classes, roundtable discussions and networking sessions. In addition to the main conference programme a record number of signing ceremonies for new projects and partnerships are set to take place this year, following $ 1.1 billion in business opportunities announced at FHS Saudi Arabia in 2024. – TradeArabia News Service