Tourism Breaking News
Following the success of the inaugural Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) in October 2020 with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism and the G20 Secretariat, the event will return in a new format for its second edition on 24-25 May 2022 at the Riyadh Airport Marriott Hotel. Hosted by Dur Hospitality, FHS Saudi Arabia is co-organised by The Bench and MEED, along with the Saudi-based SEMARK, and will bring together government leaders, hotel investors, owners, developers, and operators to discuss the growth of the hospitality industry in the Kingdom.
“Following the resounding success and feedback we received from FHS in 2020 and AHIC in 2021, we have been working hard behind the scenes to redesign the event and we’re thrilled to bring FHS back with not just one, but two monumental and distinct programmes this year in Riyadh in May and in Dubai in September,” said Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench.
Under the theme ‘Reimagined Horizons’ the programme for FHS Saudi Arabia will be shaped with the help of its newly launched Advisory Board comprising a carefully curated group of senior industry leaders, to ensure the programme addresses the most pressing needs of the market. Key conference themes will include the future of hotel development, human capital and food & beverage as well as the future of flight, destination investment and sustainability and innovation.
“We’re excited to have the active and high-level investment communities from both markets back together for what is promising to be an action-packed few days of content, dialogue and networking,” Worsley added.
Commenting on the investment sentiment in Saudi Arabia ahead of the Future Hospitality Summit, Philip Wooller, Area Director Middle East & Africa at STR, said:
“There is a palpable excitement about Saudi Arabia—not just locally, but globally. The future of Saudi Arabia is never far from the curiosity of most, and the curiosity is well-founded. Despite the challenges of the last two years, the acceleration of Saudi Arabia as both a leisure and business destination has been remarkable, and the ambitious plans laid out in Vision 2030 are on track.”
“From the giga projects of the Red Sea, Amaala and Diriyah Gate, to the sporting centre stage with Grand Prix, golf and boxing, to large-scale music events, Saudi Arabia has an exciting profile. With all of these demand drivers in the Kingdom, Saudi currently has more than 100,000 rooms in the hotel pipeline. Those rooms would represent a 55% increase in the market’s supply with the global average sitting at just 12%,” Wooller added.
FHS Saudi Arabia will take place at the Riyadh Airport Marriott Hotel. Ahead of the event Dur’s CEO Mr. Sultan bin Badr Al Otaibi stated: “We are honoured to continue to support events such as “Future Hospitality Summit” as bringing tourism leaders together at such a critical turning point in the industry will be beneficial to all stakeholders. Engaging with our tourism partners as we reimagine the future of hospitality, explore the opportunities and address challenges head-on through proactive knowledge and insight exchange will strengthen the Kingdom’s ability to enhance its flourishing hospitality offerings. Through the advancement of Dur’s diversified portfolio, which includes over 32 properties, plus 15 more developments to be added to the fold, we continue to contribute to growing a thriving and sustainable tourism sector by tapping into new growth areas and spreading our scope of partnerships while continuing to develop our innovative concepts and home-grown brands.”
This year, the organisers have incorporated the region’s flagship hospitality investment conferences; Saudi Arabia Hospitality Investment Conference (SHIC) and Arabian Hospitality Investment Conference (AHIC), into the Future Hospitality Summits. Just like at every SHIC and AHIC event, FHS delegates will gain access to all the great hospitality investment sessions, C-level networking, and insights that they have become accustomed to benefiting from.
