Growing hotel industry will create more jobs for Saudis

The rapidly growing hotel industry will create more employment opportunities for Saudi youths, the managing director of business events organizer Naseba told Arab News yesterday.
Fabien Faure was speaking at the inauguration of the Kingdom Hotel Expansion Summit inaugurated at the Riyadh Intercontinental Hotel yesterday. The event was organized by Naseba.
More than 250 high officials from the hotel industry took part in the two-day event, which ran an exhibition concurrently.
Schneider Electric Vice President for Hotel Solutions Francois Carle gave a speech on enabling the hotel business to create the right answers to energy management challenges and business performance.
Speaking on behalf of the summit organizing committee, Faure said with several regional and international conferences happening in Saudi Arabia there is a pressing need for more hotels in the Kingdom.
He said more businessmen are visiting the country and there is plenty of movement of businessmen going from city to city on behalf of their respective businesses, paving the way for the expansion of the hotel industry.
Participants at the summit included representatives from around 130 hotels based in the Kingdom and representatives from related companies from all parts of the Kingdom.
The managing director said the fourth annual summit provides the ideal platform for hoteliers and international hospitality suppliers to meet in a focused environment and establish potentially lucrative business relationships.
Participants included the Middle East’s leading hoteliers, architects, developers, consultants, government bodies, ministries, development authorities and solution providers.
He said objectives of the summit included experts from across a number of hospitality sectors exchanging experiences, discovering the latest mega projects, understanding current market trends, networking and developing partnerships with key decision makers.
Naseba has conducted several successful initiatives across the Middle East, Europe and Asia under the Hospitality Series, gathering leading hoteliers, architects, developers, consultants, government bodies, ministries, mayors and development authorities.
“Naseba only invites the right level of expertise and leading innovators in order to provide exclusive platforms for knowledge-sharing, education and business making opportunities,” Faure said.
During the event, world famous lifestyle brand Nobu announced its debut in the Kingdom next year.
Nobu Hospitality owned by Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Hollywood star Robert De Niro and Meir Teper has signed an agreement to manage a luxury hotel in Riyadh.
Dhaliliyah Investments and Nobu Hospitality announced that an agreement to manage a luxury hotel currently in the final stage of construction in Riyadh was signed recently. The project owner is Najmatic Company, a subsidiary of Dhaliliyah Investments.
“As the first luxury boutique hotel in the Kingdom, the Nobu Hotel will have an exceptional design and house the Nobu restaurant,” Chief Executive of Nobu Group Trevor Horwell told Arab News yesterday on the sidelines of the summit. He added that it is the first Nobu Hotel in the Kingdom to be opened in Riyadh in 2013.
Under the agreement, the two parties will run a joint venture under the name “Saudi Nobu.”
Horwell said the hotel would be located on King Fahd Road close to key locations of business, culture and shopping. It will be centrally located between the Four Seasons Hotel and Faisaliah Hotel.
The hotel will feature guest rooms and suites elegantly styled, reflecting Nobu's Japanese heritage.
Dhaliliyah Investments is owned by Princess Nouf bint Mohammed bin Fahd, daughter of Eastern Province Gov. Prince Mohammed bin Fahd.