Hilton to open in Saudi Arabia

150 150 Daniel Fountain
  • 0

Hilton Worldwide has signed a Management Agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Granada Investment Centre established by General Organisation for Social Insurance (GOSI) for the first Hilton branded property in Riyadh scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2013. Located on Riyadh’s Eastern Ring Road, linking King Khalid International Airport with the downtown area, the new-build Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will feature two towers; a 20-storey 480-room hotel tower, and a 14-storey tower with 350 hotel apartments.

Once completed, the hotel will be located between the 466,000sqm Granada Centre, a shopping and entertainment mall, and Granada Business Park. Also nearby is the new Riyadh International Conference Centre, and the King Abdullah Financial District, the future home of the Saudi Stock Exchange. Further leisure attractions within close proximity include the Al Hokair Land Theme Park.

In addition to its rooms and suites, there are varied restaurants on offer, with several food and beverage outlets, featuring all-day dining, specialty and destination restaurants, as well as two outdoor lounges.

Business meetings and conferences include separate male and female ballrooms, a junior ballroom, eight meeting rooms, two boardrooms and a business centre. Leisure and recreational facilities include a spa and health club, with separate male and female areas and a swimming pool.

Hilton Worldwide has a large brand footprint in Middle East & Africa with 44 hotels across 14 countries, and a further 19 under development. The company has an established and diverse brand portfolio in Saudi Arabia spanning Waldorf Astoria (Qasr Al Sharq), Hilton (Jeddah Hilton, Makkah Hilton & Towers, Madinah Hilton) and Hilton Garden Inn (Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Olaya) brands.

Hilton Worldwide global operations, president, Ian Carter said: “Our goal has always been to have a Hilton branded property in every capital city around the world, so we are delighted to have signed this management agreement with GOSI marking our Hilton entry into Riyadh. There is growing demand for hotel accommodation in the capital from the business and corporate travel segments making Riyadh the perfect choice for us.”

Daniel Fountain / 26.01.2010

Editor, Hotel Designs

Share

  • 0

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.