Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia Marks Ninth Edition in Riyadh

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Saudi Arabia - the Kingdom’s most influential hospitality investment conference - will return to the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah in Riyadh from 20-22 April 2026 following the success of this year’s event, which brought together over 1,100 global hospitality investors, innovators and senior decision-makers and facilitated 11 high-profile hotel signings and strategic announcements, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s drive to deliver over 362,000 new hotel rooms by 2030 through its USD$10 billion tourism development pipeline as part of Vision 2030.

Across this year’s summit delegates reported USD 1.6 billion in business opportunities, underscoring FHS’s role as the region’s premier deal-making forum.

Under next year’s theme “Where Opportunity Meets Capital,” FHS Saudi Arabia 2026 will unite hospitality leaders 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, aiming for actionable outcomes that will transform the industry, which continues to witness unprecedented growth.

Comprising some of the hospitality industry’s most prominent leaders, the FHS 2026 Saudi Arabia Advisory Board met in Riyadh last week to discuss what’s driving Saudi hospitality, and provided perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing the Kingdom’s tourism sector as the journey toward Vision 2030 accelerates.

Top insights that emerged from the discussions included the opportunity to further proliferate homegrown Saudi hospitality brands that define the Kingdom’s identity; the development of experience-driven and organic tourism segments; and the global boom in branded residences—with under-construction projects up 455% over the past decade—and what this growth could mean for the sector in Saudi Arabia. Participants also highlighted the need for greater clarity around evolving foreign ownership and FDI laws, particularly as interest in branded residential offerings continues to rise.

The rapid pace of new development in the Kingdom, which represents the biggest hotel pipeline in the region, also highlighted several areas of strategic focus to ensure development plans remain on track, including the need for more robust industry data and pipeline visibility. With approximately 50 percent of new developments coming from the luxury segment, a rebalance between luxury and mid market segments would be critical. In addition, the reliance on traditional finance models and the banking sector was raised with the need to diversify to alternative forms of debt financing such as capital markets, in line with new Government regulations.

These, and a range of other topics will be featured across six content themes in the FHS Saudi Arabia 2026 agenda: Investment & Real Estate, Technology & Innovation, Talent & Education, Wellness & Lifestyle, F&B and Experiences and the dedicated Branded Residences Forum.

Our Advisory Board meetings are instrumental in helping us steer our conference agendas and we were thrilled to have so many of the industry’s most senior leaders in the room in Riyadh last week. We look forward to another milestone event in 2026, driven by the industry, for the industry. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench

Mr. Khalid S. Abuhaimed, Chief Executive Officer, Al Khozama Investments commented: Hosting FHS reflects our continued involvement in shaping the hospitality landscape in Saudi Arabia. The summit brings together leaders who are actively defining the sector’s next phase, and we value the opportunity to contribute our experience in this dialogue. As Saudi advances its tourism ambitions, we remain committed to supporting the market with measured, high-quality development.

For more information about the 2026 edition of the Future Hospitality Summit, please visit https://www.futurehospitality.com/

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 Saudi Arabia

Dates: 20-22 April 2026

Location: Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Sponsors: Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh and Al Khozama Investment as Host Sponsors; Taiba Investments as Founding Partner; Amsa Hospitality, Jabal Omar Development Company, Radisson Hotel Group and Red Sea Group as Strategic Partners; BWH Hotels, ClubMed, IHG, Italia Hospitality, Story Hospitality, The Ascott Limited as Headline Sponsors; Accor, Aleph Hospitality, IHCL, JT + Partners, Knight Frank, Legacy Hotels Holding, Minor Hotels, Quo, Serb Holding Co., Sommet Education, STR and The First Group Hospitality as Sponsors; DAR Engineering, Echelonet Concierge, Melia Hotels International, Rove Hotels, Shaza Hotels, Sophos and WhiteWater as Exhibitors.

Anne Bleeker
In2 Consulting
+971 56 603 0886
The Bench