Philippine hospitality firm Hotel101 Global recently signed a joint venture partnership with Horizon Group (Horizon) as the main partner for its expansion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The company seeks to introduce the fast-growing Hotel101 Brand and develop up to 10,000 rooms at the establishment which is expected to translate to about US$2.5 billion in project value.
Five initial locations have already been identified for Hotel101 Projects, the first of which is intended to be located in Medina, followed by Riyadh, Jeddah, Abha, and Alula.
Inspired by leadership
Hotel101 Global founder Edgar “Injap” Sia II remarked: “We are inspired by the leaders of Saudi Arabia and their sheer determination and will power to make things happen, as such, we are confident in the plans they have laid out for the region and we believe the Hotel101 concept will be able to make a significant contribution in terms of room keys to complement the 2030 Vision for the Kingdom, and to form part of our global vision of one million Hotel101 rooms worldwide.”
Hotel 101 chief executive Hannah Yulo-Luccini added: “We feel very fortunate to have found the right local partners to rapidly expand the Hotel101 brand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is one of the 25 countries we have identified for the initial expansion of Hotel101. We see tremendous opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia given the high growth in tourism both domestic and international. We believe Saudi Arabia will be one of the most exciting markets for Hotel101 globally.”
For his part, Horizon Group chief executive Abdulrahman Sharbatly said: “With Hotel 101’s rapid-build model and Horizon’s local know-how, we will add 10,000 quality, affordable rooms across the Kingdom, supporting Vision 2030, creating Saudi jobs, and expanding options for pilgrims, tourists, and business travelers alike.”
Shared visions
Hotel101 recognizes the strategic opportunities presented by the Saudi market and its Vision 2030 plan.
That said,Hotel101 is committed to rolling out a standardized and predictable Hotel offering on average 500 rooms per site which can cater to the evolving and growing demands of the Saudi market.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia welcomed 27 million international tourists and 79 million domestic tourists breaching the 100 million visitor mark.
A total spend of USD 67 billion showcased the robust tourism sector of Saudi Arabia.
This is in line with the target of reaching over 150m tourists by 2030. This provides substantial opportunities in support services and infrastructure in areas such as Hotels, Shopping, F&B, and transportation.
