Marriott has signed an agreement with Rua Al
Madinah Holding Company to open eight hotels in the Holy City of
Madinah in Saudi Arabia.
Located in close proximity to the
Prophet’s Mosque, Al Masjid An Nabawi, the planned properties will
be part of the Rua Al Madinah Project which aims to elevate the
service and travel experience for visitors of Madinah.
The
hotels will feature approximately 4,400 rooms across
eight of the company’s brands: Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott,
Marriott, Westin, Le Méridien, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft and Courtyard by
Marriott.
Marriott’s current portfolio
in Saudi Arabia encompasses 36 properties and more than 10,000 rooms across 11 of
its brands.
“The agreement with one of the world’s leading
hospitality operators brings the Rua Al Madinah project a step
closer to realising its ambitions to further enrich Madinah city’s
Hajj and Umrah services,” said Eng. Ahmed Al Juhani, CEO of
Rua Al Madinah. “This collaboration will culminate
in the launch of eight new hotels and nearly 4.400 rooms that will
serve both residents as well as visitors from around the world
looking to visit Madinah.”
The eight planned properties include The
Ritz-Carlton, Rua Al Madinah which is slated to offer 151
rooms and suites, multiple dining concepts, a 500-sqm ballroom,
fitness centre and Ritz Kids space.
JW Marriott Rua Al Madinah will feature 252 guestrooms and suites
along with multiple dining concepts, a fitness centre and meeting
room facilities.
Plans for Madinah Marriott Hotel Rua Al Madinah
include 450 rooms and suites in addition to dining,
recreation, and meeting facilities.
Le Méridien Rua Al Madinah is
expected to offer 533 rooms and suites, three
dining concepts alongside a variety of recreation and meeting facilities.
The
Westin Rua Al Madinah will most likely comprise of 361
rooms and suites, three dining outlets, a fitness centre, kids
club and meeting facilities.
The Four Points by Sheraton Rua Al Madinah will
offer
777 rooms and apartments, two all-day dining concepts,
meeting facilities and a fitness centre.
Both the Aloft Rua Al
Madinah and Courtyard by Marriott Rua Al Madinah are expected to
offer a combined total of 1,810 rooms and suites, 1,100 sqm of meeting
space and multiple dining and recreation facilities.
“There is a strong demand for high-quality hotel
accommodation in Madinah and we are delighted to work with Rua Al
Madinah Holding Company to support the enhancement and
diversification of the city’s hospitality landscape,” said Satya
Anand, President, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott
International. “This multi-deal agreement also strengthens our
footprint in Saudi Arabia where we continue to see strong growth
momentum in line with the Kingdom’s vision for its tourism
sector.”
Rua Al Madinah is responsible for
the development of a number of real estate projects in the Holy City of Madinah as one of
the key initiatives of the Public Investment Fund to achieve Saudi
Arabia’s Vision 2030.
The Rua Al Madinah
Project is expected to cover 1.5 million square meters and include
47,000 new rooms by 2030.
Approximately 63% of the project’s master plan
will consist of open spaces, while integrated transportation
solutions such as bus stops and underground parking are
anticipated to facilitate easy access to the Prophets’ Mosque and
support residential and commercial activity within the master
development.
