Marriott to expand Saudi footprint...

Property will cater more for long-stay guests when open in 2026

Marriott International will open a Residence Inn by Marriott in Saudi capital Riyadh in partnership with real estate investment firm Al Nakhla Investment.

Scheduled to open late 2026, the property will cater for the long-stay guest and is the latest in a long line of new hotel developments coming from the kingdom, as it looks to attract 150 million visitors annually by 2030.

Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector saw hotel rooms more than double in Q3 2024, soaring from 214,600 to 443,200.

The new Residence Inn by Marriott Riyadh will feature a selection of suites and units with fully equipped kitchens, separate living and sleeping areas and state-of-the-art facilities.

Chadi Hauch, Regional Vice President, Development – Middle East at Marriott International said the development was in response to "strong demand" for longer stay accommodation in Riyadh.

“Whether for leisure or business, Residence Inn provides travellers the comforts of home while on the road.”

Marriott currently has 42 properties in Saudi but that empire is expanding. In January 2025, Marriott International announced it will open a 2,179-room Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Makkah in 2026, making it the brand’s largest hotel in the world.

Rendering of Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Makkah

Demand is soaring as more leisure travellers seek new destinations, adding to the already strong business and religious tourism to the kingdom. In the first nine months of 2024, Saudi ranked third globally for growth rate of international arrivals, up 25% compared to the previous year.

Major attractions such as the annual Riyadh Season between October and March have been pulling in leisure visitors, and Saudi is also making preparations for enhancing its sporting credentials by hosting the FIFA 2034 World Cup.

It’s not just Marriott embracing the hospitality opportunity across Saudi.

In January 2025, Radisson Hotel Group opened Hotel & Convention Centre, Riyadh Minhal, marking the group’s 30th property in Saudi, and 16 under development. Radisson is aiming to have 100 hotels across 10 brands in the kingdom within the next five years.

Also that month, Kempinski Hotel & Resort Sariya Yanbu Red Sea opened its doors, the first five-star luxury hotel in Yanbu and Kempinski's second property in Saudi.

Ennismore will also open three properties in Saudi Arabia in 2025, bringing the SLS brand to the kingdom for the first time. SLS Red Sea is scheduled to open towards the end of the year, Rixos Obhur Jeddah Resort and Villas opens early 2025, and Rixos KAEC will open mid-year.

Looking further ahead, Hyatt is set to triple its number of hotel rooms across the kingdom by 2030 and will open three new properties in Saudi by 2026.

With such a strong pipeline of new properties, and global hospitality giants partnering with local developers and operators, Vision 2030 is coming into sharp focus.

For more information, visit www.marriott.com

GET YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE MALDIVES NOW