Middle East government policy and its pivotal role in the growth of tourism and hospitality sectors globally fell under the spotlight on the second day of The Hotel Show, the undisputed flagship event for the Middle East’s hospitality industry. Running from 4-6 June at Dubai World Trade Centre and co-located alongside Workspace, INDEX, Leisure Show, and KIDSPACE, the longest-running hospitality trade show in the Middle East featured a host of Executive Think Tank Panels exploring a range of subjects, from brand storytelling to smart management systems via sustainability and nationalization. Speaking during the opening session of the Hospitality Leadership and F&B Forum, Nadeem Zaman, Group Chief Strategy Officer at Rua Al Madinah Holding in Saudi Arabia, explained his company, which is PIF-owned, has a mandate to build 47,000 keys over the next 10 years.
The Kingdom as a whole expects to add around a quarter of a million keys by 2030, while the objective is for international tourism to triple from around 26 million to 75 million within that same period. Such goals are impossible without intricate collaboration between government and developers, be it in terms of legislation, policy, or even societal development in general. “It’s all about understanding how we can align interests to make this a win-win situation for everyone,” said Zaman, whose company is partnering with local universities and vocational training hubs to help Saudi citizens earn qualifications and ente.