Saudi’s Makarem Hotels reveals expansion plans
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Established Saudi hospitality firm, Makarem Hotels, has revealed plans to expand its presence in the Kingdom.
The company, part of Riyadh-based Dur Hospitality Company, is eyeing opportunities in some of Saudi Arabia’s secondary cities, according to the group’s president of hotel operation, Dr Denis Sorin.
“We currently operate upscale properties in key locations –Makkah, Medina, Jeddah, Riyadh and Tabuk – and now we are looking at secondary cities like Yanbu,” Sorin told Travel Daily at last week’s World Travel Market in London.
He said demand for hotel rooms was being driven by the surge in religious tourists visiting Makkah and Medina to perform Hajj or Umrah.
The latest research has found the tourism industry currently generates around 2.7% Saudi Arabia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with religious tourists making up the largest group of visitors to the kingdom.
The Hajj pilgrimage, which takes place in the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and lesser Umrah pilgrimages, which can be performed at any time of the year, contribute $12bn annually. That is projected to rise to more than $20bn within the next four years, according to the Council for Economic and Development Affairs.
The council predicts that the number of religious tourists coming to perform Umrah will grow from eight million this year to 15 million by 2020, and 30 million by 2030.
The overall number of religious tourists to KSA is expected to hit more than 20 million by 2020.
Makarem is one of the first Saudi hotel brands to offer international service standards, as well as a “spiritual hospitality concept”, according to Sorin.
“We recently launched a unique spiritual concierge service,” he said. “These concierge – both men and women – are trained to high standards, and provide our guests with spiritual and Hajj guidance.
“We also have a spiritual library featuring religious books and artifacts. Our mission is to help guests embark on a spiritual or noble journey.”
He said the female concierge staff were proving popular with guests, and adhered to new government guidance on employing more women across every industry.
Other initiatives unique to Makarem Hotels include procuring high quality food and leading chefs.
“The quality of food is not always good in Saudi Arabia, so through training and purchasing initiatives, our F&B quality is on par with what you would find in Dubai or Qatar,” said Sorin.
The company has also rolled out several green initiatives including Fair Trade amenities and products.
“Even the towels and bed sheets are Fair trade,” said Sorin. “We are also working on a number of initiatives to ensure our hotels are green, by reducing water and energy consumption.”
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