9 new Rotana hotels to open in Saudi...

Hotel management company will triple number of keys in kingdom in three years

Leading hotel management company Rotana has revealed plans for 36 new properties, including nine in Saudi Arabia.

The announcement was made at the Saudi Tourism Forum (STF) with the new properties located across 22 cities in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Türkiye (MENAT).

Saudi is a key market for Rotana. As well as opening three properties in the kingdom in 2024, Rotana aims to triple its key count over the next three years, to reach 6,000.

Last year marked the opening of Nova M, the first Edge by Rotana in the country, as well as Dar Rayhaan by Rotana in Al Khobar and Al Manakha Rotana in Madinah.

Those openings brought the total number of Rotana properties in Saudi to 11, with five additional openings slated for this year. In total, Rotana operates 81 hotels across MENAT.

“We see tremendous potential for expansion in Saudi Arabia,” said Philip Barnes, CEO of Rotana.

“Our ambitious pipeline for KSA underscores our commitment to the hospitality and tourism sectors, both in the kingdom and regionally, as demand for business and leisure travel soars to new heights in anticipation of major events such as the FIFA World Cup 2034.”

Barnes added that Rotana is building on a 30-year legacy as a homegrown brand, being headquartered in Abu Dhabi.

Rotana’s expansion plans reflect the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030 as the nation looks to diversify its economy and boost tourism – aiming to attract 150 million visitors each year.

The momentum is building. Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector saw hotel rooms more than double in Q3 2024, soaring from 214,600 to 443,200.

In the first nine months of 2024, Saudi ranked third globally for growth rate of international tourist arrivals, soaring by 25% compared to the previous year.

The upcoming FIFA World Cup 2034 will shine a global spotlight on Saudi Arabia and provide a further boost to tourism – a subject discussed by Rotana COO Eddy Tannous in a panel session at Saudi Tourism Forum, held from 7 to 9 January 2025 in Riyadh.

For more information, visit www.rotana.com

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