Hospitality group InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) will be launching two properties in Saudi Arabia, officials announced at the Saudi Arabia Hospitality Investment Conference (SHIC) 2020 in Riyadh.
The group signed a management agreement for InterContinental Dammam in partnership with Salem Mohammed Al Qahtani and one for Holiday Inn Riyadh Al Malaz in partnership with Saleh Alsalamah and Partner Companies.
Opening in 2024, InterContinental Dammam will be IHG’s first hotel in the city and will strengthen the company’s presence in KSA’s eastern provinces.
The property will feature 289 designed rooms and amenities including three restaurants, an outdoor pool and deck, an indoor pool, a gym and six well-equipped meeting rooms.
Opening later this year, the 121-rooms Holiday Inn Riyadh Al Malaz will be located in the city centre of Riyadh.
The property will be well positioned to cater to government, corporate and domestic leisure guests. The hotel will be the fifth Holiday Inn branded hotel in Riyadh.
Holiday Inn Riyadh Al Malaz will introduce an open lobby concept by combining the front desk, lobby, F&B, lounge area and business centre into one cohesive space.
The hotel will also offer an array of amenities including a pool, a gym, a business centre, meeting rooms and two restaurants.
Commenting on the announcements IHG managing director, India, Middle East & Africa, Pascal Gauvin said: “Continuing our growth momentum in Saudi Arabia, we are pleased to add two new properties, InterContinental Dammam and Holiday Inn Riyadh Al Malaz to our portfolio. Both brands are well established in the Kingdom and in demand for existing guest segments visiting the country. Furthermore, we are rapidly expanding our presence in Saudi Arabia to cater to an increasing number of guests coming to the country, as a result of vision 2030 and ensuing initiatives by the Government.”
He added, “In the last 12 months, we have signed 10 hotels, across our portfolio of brands in the Kingdom. We will also be opening an office in Riyadh to further drive our growth and performance in the country.”
Saudi Arabia is a priority market for IHG in the Middle, with a current portfolio of 33 hotels (15,388 rooms) across six brands including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites and voco, and 20 hotels (10,028 rooms) in the pipeline, set to open in the next three to five years.
Eponymous company owner, Salem Mohammed Al Qahtani said: “We are excited to partner with a leading global hospitality player such as IHG, to bring their international luxury brand, InterContinental, to the city of Dammam. IHG has a strong legacy in Saudi Arabia, and with their market understanding and expertise, we are confident that InterContinental Dammam will be a great success and a hotel of choice for our discerning guests visiting the city.”
IHG recently announced plans to open an office in Riyadh in March 2020 and appointed management dedicated to Saudi Arabia.
Saleh Alsalamah and Partner Companies chairman of the board, Sheikh Saleh Hossain Al-Salamah, said: “With the increasing number of travellers coming to the Kingdom, as a result of Saudi Vision 2030, there is need for more quality branded accommodation. Holiday Inn is a well-known brand internationally, as well as in the Kingdom, and we are pleased to partner with IHG to open Holiday Inn Riyadh Al Malaz. We look forward to welcoming our guests and offer them a great stay experience when we open our doors later this year.”
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