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Saudi hospitality sector continues robust growth
A recent quarterly report by Deloitte, the business advisory firm, has revealed that Makkah posted a 32.7 per cent growth in revenue per available room (revPAR) in the first quarter of 2009, while Jeddah had an increase of 30.3 per cent to rank within the top three best performing hotel markets in the region.
In line with this, Elaf Group of Companies, a business organisation serving the Saudi Arabian travel, tourism and hotel industries, has recently announced that it will deliver a fresh supply of nearly 5,000 hotel rooms within the next three years with the launch of two hotels each in Makkah and Jeddah and one in Madinah. Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, President, Elaf Group of Companies said: “The Kingdom remains a significant growth market and an important consolidating force in the region's hotel industry. Makkah and Jeddah particularly stand out as the top growth markets in the Middle East, having registered the best revenue rates per room in the entire region. As such, we are fully committed to support the growth of the Kingdom's hospitality sector by delivering a fresh supply of hotels rooms to address the growing demand and open opportunities for further growth.”
The company has disclosed that some 982 hotel rooms will be available by the end of this year, while over 2,400 rooms under construction will be completed within the next three years. The group will manage the Elaf Almashaer Hotel in Makkah, which will have a total of 304 rooms, and the Elaf Al Sud in Mahbas Al Jin, which will have a total capacity of 850 rooms. In Jeddah, Elaf will manage the Elaf Hotel at the Red Sea Mall, which will have a capacity of over 150 rooms, and the Galleria in Tahliya Street, which will have 400 rooms, while the Elaf Alhuda Hotel in Madinah will have a capacity of 237.
“We are committed to implement ambitious plans that will complement the KSA Government's strategies to further encourage domestic tourism and enhance the overall travel sector, especially since Saudi Arabia is witnessing a boom in its travel and tourism industry," concluded Bin Mahfouz.
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