Marriott Deepens Saudi Arabia Push With 2,700-Room Deal


Skift Take

Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambitions won’t be won by trophy hotels. Marriott’s midscale-heavy deal shows a belief that filling rooms, not adding gold bling, will determine whether the kingdom's tourism development goals succeed.

Marriott has agreed to add more than 2,700 hotel rooms in Saudi Arabia, with five properties under development in Jeddah, Makkah, and Madinah as part of a deal announced Wednesday with Al Qimmah Hospitality, a subsidiary of BinDawood Investment.

Marriott already runs 44 properties with more than 11,000 rooms in the kingdom. With this deal, it will have more than 55 hotels in the pipeline.

The deal supports the ambition Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano outlined in October at Skift Global Forum East to lean into the Saudi market.

"Part of the reason we're so bullish on Saudi is the opportunity they have with natural landscapes, with commitments they've made to the sustainability of the sea