As the travel and tourism sector makes a robust comeback in the Middle East following the COVID-19 pandemic, Hilton has unveiled ambitious plans to increase its regional footprint by more than 125 percent, according to an announcement made on Monday.
Carlos Khneisser, Vice President of Development for the Middle East and Africa at Hilton, shared these strategic aspirations on the inaugural day of the Future Hospitality Summit in Abu Dhabi. He revealed, “Our multi-brand growth strategy continues to show results, with close to 100 hotels — totaling almost 25,000 rooms — set to open in the Middle East in the near future.”
Khneisser added, “We are also proud to be managing an active pipeline, with approximately 70 percent of our Middle East projects currently under construction. We look forward to seeing these hotels come to fruition in the years ahead while continuing to agree on new properties.”
In Saudi Arabia, a pivotal market for development, Hilton recently signed agreements for several new properties in August. These include a Conrad Hotels and Resorts property located in Riyadh’s Laysen Valley, two hotels in Abha, and a Canopy by Hilton at the Porta Jeddah Development. With these significant signings, Saudi Arabia has emerged as Hilton’s largest pipeline market in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, ranking as the fourth largest globally.
Meanwhile, in Qatar, LXR Hotels & Resorts expanded its portfolio earlier this year with the addition of The Plaza Doha, further bolstering Hilton’s presence in the country. Furthermore, Hilton celebrated a notable milestone with the debut of Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts on the African continent through the opening of Waldorf Astoria Cairo Heliopolis in September.
The coming months are expected to witness a series of hotel openings across a diverse range of brands and countries, contributing to Hilton’s substantial regional growth.
Hilton’s strategic expansion plans underscore the revival of the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, highlighting the region’s enduring appeal as a thriving hub for hospitality and a promising market for international hotel chains.
