2022 Future Hospitality Summit scheduled for May

Following the first Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) back in 2020, Saudi Arabia will host the 2022 FHS in a new location at the Riyadh Airport Marriott Hotel. Guests are expected to attend the event on the 24th and 25th of May.

 

The event is the result of a partnership between The Bench, MEED, SEMARK and Dur Hospitality, which will also be the host of FHS Saudi Arabia. Officials, top investors, property owners, entrepreneurs and main industry operators will gather together and discuss the latest advances of the Kingdom’s hospitality market.

Jonathan Worsley, President of The Bench, commented:

“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.

“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.”

The senior Advisory Board will focus on the market’s needs, such as hotel development, human capital, destinations, investments, sustainability, innovation and more. The name for this year’s theme will be “Reimagined Horizons”.

Philip Wooller, Area Director Middle East & Africa at STR, declared with the occasion of FHS 2022:

“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 gigaprojects 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%.”

Sultan bin Badr Al Otaibi, the CEO of Dur Hospitality, the host of the event, added:

"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.”

The event this year will be hosted by Riyadh Airport Marriott Hotel and will feature two of the Kingdom’s main hospitality investment conferences - Saudi Arabia Hospitality Investment Conference (SHIC) and Arabian Hospitality Investment Conference (AHIC).

 

Source: zawya.com