Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia Officially Opens in Riyadh
Over 1,000 senior decision-makers, 200 investors and 150 expert speakers have convened in the capital for the 2025 edition of the event
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Saudi Arabia 2025 is officially underway at the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh, taking place from 11-13 May.
Under the theme “Where Vision Shapes Opportunity,” FHS Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s most influential hospitality investment conference, brings together hospitality leaders, investors and decision-makers to discuss hotel performance and development, the outlook for hospitality investment in the Kingdom and the key market trends driving the sector.
The official opening remarks were delivered this morning by His Highness Prince Bandar bin Saud bin Khalid Al Saud, Secretary General, King Faisal Foundation (KFF) and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Al Khozama Investment Company.
Hospitality in Saudi Arabia is no longer just about infrastructure or service - it’s about identity, culture, talent, and future leadership. It is about creating opportunities for the people of this country to tell their story, and to shape the experience of those who come to discover it. HH Prince Bandar bin Saud bin Khalid, Secretary General, King Faisal Foundation
The address was delivered in the distinguished presence of Mahmoud Abdulhadi, Deputy minister of tourism for destination enablement, Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, who also took to the stage to discuss “Where Vision Shapes Opportunity”.
The FHS Saudi Arabia program, which covers everything from start-ups to staffing and innovation to investment over three days, features 150+ speakers across 80 sessions in 18 different content tracks, covering key themes including Investment, Financing & Real Estate, Destination Development, Technology & Innovation, Sustainability & ESG, and Luxury, F&B and Experiential Hospitality.
We are delighted to be back at the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh, thanks to our host sponsor Al Khozama Investment and look forward to a very exciting few days of strong debate and valuable insights from the region’s most respected and experienced leaders to help shape the future of our industry. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench, organizer of FHS Saudi Arabia
Khalid Saud AbuHaimed, Chief Executive Officer, Al Khozama Investment, commented: Our partnership with FHS reflects our belief in the power of hospitality to drive opportunity and excellence.
The event kicked off yesterday with the launch of the NextGen: Investment Forum, a brand new, first-of-its-kind event that tackled the key issues and opportunities surrounding education, training, and talent retention in Saudi Arabia's hospitality industry. With 1 million new tourism jobs predicted by 2030 and 320,000 new hotel rooms, investing in the next generation of leaders in hospitality is fundamental to delivering KSA’s Vision 2030 goals.
The action-packed agenda features a wide variety of session formats from main stage keynotes, panel discussions and exclusive leadership conversations, master classes, roundtable discussions and networking sessions. In addition to the main conference programme a record number of signing ceremonies for new projects and partnerships are set to take place this year, following USD$ 1.1 billion in business opportunities announced at FHS Saudi Arabia in 2024.
About The Bench
The Bench has built a legacy as a global curator of opportunity, designing transformative forums and summits that empower the hospitality and travel industries to connect, innovate, and thrive. With over two decades of expertise, The Bench creates platforms that go beyond transactions to inspire collaboration and drive meaningful change.
Each event brings together government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel associations, leading hospitality brands, hotel owners and investors, airlines, destination developers, and more. From flagship gatherings like FHS World (formerly AHIC) and FHS Saudi Arabia, to FHS Africa (formerly AHIF) and AviaDev, The Bench creates events where ideas spark, relationships deepen, and investments take flight.
The Bench thrives on fostering dynamic and forward-looking dialogues, uniting industry pioneers to address challenges, seize opportunities, and co-create the future. Each event is crafted to deliver more than just connections - it's about transforming ideas into action and building a better tomorrow.
Discover more at thebench.com
About FHS World
Dates: 27-29 October 2025
Location: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE
Sponsors:
Jumeirah as Host Sponsor; Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities (MHUC) – Egypt, Neom, Rua Al Madinah, Taiba Investments, Territorial Development Agency (Albania), Tourism Promotions Board Philippines and UAE Ministry of Economy & Tourism as Strategic Partners; PWC as Knowledge Partner; Accor, Arada Hospitality LLC, Barriere, ClubMed, Colliers, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Italia Hospitality, Jabal Omar Development Company, Marriott International, Modon Hospitality, Radisson Hotel Group, Red Sea Global, Rotana and The Ascott Limited as Headline Sponsors; Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy - Les Roches, Action Hotels, Aleph Hospitality, Aristara.ai, Arthur D Little, Blastness, Bushtec Creations, BWH Hotels, CBRE, Compass Project Consulting, Credibl ESG, Danube Hospitality Solutions, EHL Hospitality, ELKO EP, Enterprise Greece, Forsite Creative, H World International, HDL Automation, IHCL, JLL, JT & Partners, Knight Frank, Legacy Hotels Holding (Louvre), Millat Group, Minor Hotels, Parsons, QUO, Rikas Hospitality, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), STR – a CoStar Group Company, Technogym, The First Group Hospitality, TUI Hotels & Resorts, United Hospitality Management, UNS and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts as Sponsors; ARK People Solutions, Cavendish Maxwell, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Inntelo AI, Invest Cyprus, Rove Hotels and Shaza Hotels, Start Reverse and iReserved as Exhibitors; and Adyen, dailypoint, ExploreTECH, Fairmas, Flyr, Portal, RMS Cloud and ROOMNET in the ExploreTECH Tech Pavilion.
Anne Bleeker
In2 Consulting
+971 56 603 0886
The Bench
