Pioneering the future of Saudi hospitality

“Ten years ago, if someone had told me that I’d have the opportunity to pursue a hospitality career here in Saudi Arabia, I wouldn’t have believed them. I feel so lucky to be part of this industry, and to be helping open up my country to travellers from across the globe.”

Shuruq Alomayri, Best Housekeeper Supervisor at the Saudi Hospitality Talent Awards 2022, is employed by the Turtle Bay Hotel at The Red Sea – a luxury regenerative destination that’s being developed along the Saudi Arabian coast and is a key driver of the Kingdom’s nascent tourism industry.

Her experience highlights what the creation of a new industry means for some local Saudis: namely the economic, educational and cultural opportunities they hope it will bring for the future. The country’s burgeoning hospitality sector is providing people like Shuruq with new careers, highlighting the industry’s ability to evolve the country’s economy away from a reliance on oil. Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind The Red Sea and Amaala destinations, is expected to create 120,000 jobs and contribute some 33bn riyals annually to the national economy, a contribution that would help to boost the tourism sector’s share of GDP from 3 per cent to 10 per cent by 2030.

For Habib Salah, a front-of-house team member at Turtle Bay Hotel, being part of this rapidly expanding industry is rewarding , not just because of the impact she can have on Saudi tourism directly, but also for the chance to positively influence younger colleagues. “I am enjoying my journey representing and contributing to the hospitality vision of my country and taking on additional responsibilities so I can inspire, train, coach and support the next generation.”

Creating opportunities for young people is a specific objective for Saudi developers. They recognise that new positions need to be filled by ambitious talent, and that there are Saudis eager to get into the industry, who require continuous and holistic training programs that expose them to every aspect of the sector.

RSG has established several initiatives to help young people enter hospitality, such as the Scholarship Program launched in partnership with the University of Prince Mugrin – and accredited by the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne – aimed at high-school graduates. The course offers young people theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience based on international hospitality standards. Once they’ve completed the course, the developer and its key industry partners offer employment opportunities to some graduates. Alongside this, its Vocational Training Program, a two-and-a-half-year course equipping Saudi talent with the skills needed for jobs of the future, promises employment either at an RSG destination or with one of its partners.

The developer has already received over 87,000 applications for these programmes and, to date, placed nearly 800 young people into training and careers. For Abdullah Ziad Sherbini, who enrolled on the Scholarship Program in 2021, the experience has been a positive one . “The course has allowed me to learn from the very best in the hospitality sector and develop a diverse and adaptable skill set. I can’t wait to put my learning into practice and be part of an exciting and rapidly growing industry for our country.”

The tourism industry wishes to celebrate the Kingdom’s cultural heritage while opening the eyes of the world to the talents and hospitality of the Saudi people. Its growth will create opportunities for artists, musicians and chefs to reach new audiences, and will help local communities share their knowledge and culture in new, powerful ways.

For example, The Red Sea and its hospitality partners – including Ritz-Carlton Reserve, St. Regis and Six Senses – will provide guests with the opportunity to encounter a diverse range of experiences inspired by local traditions. From Arabian-influenced contemporary music and the delights of local honey and coffee, to handmade artefacts such as jewellery and pottery inspired by traditional designs, visitors will experience authentic Saudi culture. At resorts such as Desert Rock, which is being built directly into the mountains, local communities will have the chance to provide educational tours to hikers, acting as stewards of the land.

The Kingdom’s burgeoning tourism industry is evolving to provide opportunities for the Saudi people. It is driving the creation of new careers, providing educational programmes for the younger generation, and actively enhancing and celebrating the country’s cultural heritage. For developers such as Red Sea Global, this is only the beginning of its journey to open up Saudi Arabia to an international audience and set new standards for sustainable and regenerative tourism.