FHS Saudi Arabia celebrates entrepreneurship as Startup Den returns for 2026 edition

Riyadh, 2 June, 2026: The Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Saudi Arabia’s Startup Den returns for 2026, with the opportunity for industry entrepreneurs to secure exposure, mentorship, funding opportunities and more.

One of the most anticipated features at FHS, the Startup Zone gives entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to pitch, network and showcase their products and services to global hospitality and tourism leaders and an esteemed panel of judges.

This year’s FHS Saudi Arabia Startup Den Finalists, who will be pitching live on stage, are: Abdulrahman Joud, Co-Founder & CEO, Emtethal; Rakan Alrasheed, Founder & CEO, Arabian Haven; Nourah Alsadoon, Founder, HiHome; Micaela Johnston, Founder, ReelStay; Sabrine Chennaoui, Chief Executive Officer, MONSAPO, and Fayaz Ali, Director, ChiefPAISA Merchant Payments. The Startup Den winner will receive a complimentary pass to FHS World, taking place in Dubai in September, as well as curated meetings with venture capitalists and investors.

Ali Shahid, CEO at FHS organiser, The Bench, said: “Innovation, creativity and sustainability are at the heart of FHS Saudi Arabia’s forward-thinking approach, and entrepreneurship is pivotal to the ongoing success and evolution of KSA’s hospitality and tourism industry. Our Startup Den gets bigger and bolder each year, with fantastic products and services from talented businessmen and women whose work can enhance – and potentially transform – the sector. Our Startup team and respected panel of judges are gearing up for another awe-inspiring collection of pitches this year, and we look forward to revealing the winner live at FHS Saudi Arabia later this month.”

Eligibility for participation in the FHS Startup Den is for products and services across hotel tech; restaurant/F&B tech; food delivery / last‑mile logistics; cloud kitchens / virtual brands; travel & tours; data & analytics; sustainability & ESG and fintech for hospitality. Candidates must operate in hospitality/F&B tech, be based in the Middle East or be actively targeting MENA expansion, have 2-50 employees, annual revenue up to US$3 million and have raised up to US$2 million in funding. Full terms and conditions can be found here.

On the judging panel this year are: Rema Alyahya, Vice President, Merak Capital; Yasser Faisal AlSharif, Chief Executive Officer, TOURACT, and Saad Shabbir, Senior Director, Takamol Ventures.

Last year’s FHS Saudi Arabia StartUp Den winner was Asif Alidina, Founder and CEO of Inntelo AI, for the UK’s first AI Concierge combining conversational and agentic AI to talk to guests and transform hotel operations. A pioneer in hotel technology, Asif has been at the forefront of hospitality innovation for more than a decade. Since the win in Riyadh last year, Intello AI has participated in FHS World and FHS Africa where it signed its first major customer through a partnership with City Blue Hotels.

Asif Alidina said: “Last year was incredibly exciting for Inntelo AI. Winning the StartUp Den opened up a multitude of opportunities, enabling us to meet hotel operators, owners and investors, not only in the Middle East but other parts of the world, too. We are ever-grateful to The Bench and FHS for being a key part of our journey and wish future StartUp Den candidates every success at this year’s event and beyond.”