Dur Hospitality Demonstrates Growth At SHIC 2020

The third edition of the Saudi Hospitality Investment Conference (SHIC) concluded on the 21st and 22nd of January, at the Riyadh Airport Marriott Hotel, where Dur Hospitality hosted the prestigious event as the strategic partner, under the patronage of the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH), in partnership with Bench Events and MEED and in the presence of over 350 dignitaries, industry experts, hoteliers and investors.

The Chairman of Dur Hospitality Eng. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Issa expressed Dur's delight in hosting this remarkable event for the third consecutive year, and reiterated the company's pride in leading efforts to transform the Saudi hospitality sector, while exploring new avenues that will enhance the company's offerings as a key player and contributor to the tourism industry, a key sector within the growing Saudi economy which is forecast to increase its contribution to the Kingdom's GDP by 8% by 2030.

Dur Hospitality unveiled its accomplishments during the event, the most prominent being its upcoming plan for the year, including the expansion of the Riyadh Airport Marriott Hotel with the addition of 100 rooms and suites. The company also shed light on the growth of its subsidiary brand Makarem Hotels and its portfolio doubling with 2181 rooms in the pipeline to be opened in the Kingdom's holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, ensuring a steady path towards Makarem's target of 5000 rooms by 2023.

Additionally, Dur celebrated its employee Haneen Baljoun who was distinguished with the renowned Saudi Young Leader Award for her extraordinary performance and contributions to the success of the company's operations as the first and only LEED accredited female engineer in Dur to work on the LEED Gold Certified hotel - Marriott Diplomatic Quarter, amongst many other leading projects.

In this regard, Dur CEO Mr. Sultan Al Otaibi stated that the company has proudly highlighted its recent accomplishments through SHIC, further augmenting its brand among industry leaders and potential investors. He also underscored Dur's dedication towards supporting national talents, an aspect clearly demonstrated through Dur's employee receiving the prestigious Saudi Young Leader Award. Moreover, he expressed his confidence in Dur's progress and positive outlook for the coming phase as the company continues to operate and develop more world-class properties throughout Saudi Arabia.

Furthermore, Dur's President of Hotel Operations Mr. Hassan Ahdab participated among 90 high-profile speakers at the conference, speaking at the panel "Leaders Perspective - Transform tomorrow and building ground up" where he shed light on a series of recent accomplishments by Dur including a remarkable portfolio expansion over the last year through signing 4 properties that will increase the hotel keys to 4499. He also commended the company's efforts to fill in market gaps through leveraging partnerships and initiatives to deliver the best standards and achieve increased profitability.

Shifting the spotlight to Dur's efforts and initiatives in empowering national talent, the Saudi Student Summit session opened discussions between the students of Dur Academy and industry leaders on prospects and career opportunities within the industry.

About AHIC 2021

AHIC, now in its 17^th year, is the annual gathering for the Middle East's hospitality investment community organised by global hotel investment event organiser Bench in partnership with Middle East business intelligence brand, MEED. AHIC creates a knowledge and networking platform for global and regional investors of all backgrounds, offering essential insights to investing in hotels, showcasing regional and international hospitality investment opportunities and facilitating direct connections with hospitality industry stakeholders. AHIC 2021 will be held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai from 20 to 22 September under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, whose continued support of the industry and AHIC has been critical to the region's tourism growth.

AHIC 2021 Sponsors

Sponsors include: Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts as Host Sponsor; Accor, Dur Hospitality, Hilton and SMIT as Platinum Sponsors; Emaar Hospitality Group, IHG, Marriott International, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, NEOM, Radisson Hotel Group, Rotana and Taiba Investments as Emerald Sponsors; Aleph Hospitality, Bespoke Modular Solutions, Colliers International, Compass Project Consulting, Farnek, HVS, The Indian Hotels Company, Insignia, IT Hospitality Group, Katch, Louvre Hotels Group, OBMI Architecture, SSH, STR, TIME Hotels, Toggle Hospitality and The London Project as Gold Sponsors; Al Tamimi and Company, Colliers Project Leaders, Deutsche Hospitality, Diriyah Gate Authority, Hotstats, JLL, MMAC Design, CHIC-NAIA, PWC, Ròya, Shangri-La Group, The Red Sea Development Company, and Voltere by Egis as Silver Sponsors; The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, Hospitality Asset Managers Association, Sustainability Hospitality Alliance and WiH Global as Supporters; JA Resorts and Hotels as Golf Supporter; and Nespresso as Official Coffee Partner.