Kerten receives ‘Most Innovative Lifestyle Hospitality Group’ award

The House Hotel Jeddah CityYard is the place to rest, dine and socialize in the modern hotel with 114 rooms.
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Updated 26 December 2021
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Kerten receives ‘Most Innovative Lifestyle Hospitality Group’ award

Leading the hospitality industry in the Middle East region, Kerten Hospitality, a mixed-use lifestyle operator, has received global recognition for its commitment to innovation, sustainability and service excellence in lifestyle hospitality.

UK’s Global Brands Magazine, one of the largest brand publications in the world, has awarded the organization Most Innovative Lifestyle Hospitality Group – Middle East 2021.

This annual accolade is given to the group for standing out among the industry leaders demonstrating exceptional service and unique vision.

In Saudi Arabia, Kerten Hospitality has recently opened its lifestyle destination in Jeddah that connects people and brings a new edge to the city’s trendy area.

The House Hotel Jeddah CityYard is the place to rest, dine and socialize in the modern hotel with 114 rooms, 14 dining options that dazzle palates and a picturesque panoramic rooftop view from the pool that has quickly turned into the go-to destination for live music and entertainment.

The house has become home to famous local and international visitors, all positively surprised to find such a transformative experience in Saudi Arabia today.

This is one of Kerten Hospitality’s mixed-use projects and a pipeline of 6 openings in 2022, a series of announcements about new curated projects along with an entry into new geographies with a growing team of distinguished professionals.

Marloes Knippenberg, CEO of Kerten Hospitality said: “We are thrilled to have been recognized as the leading lifestyle hospitality player in the region we have entered only six years ago. Today, we are building more than 35 sustainable lifestyle destinations globally with a focus on the local community, entrepreneurship, empowerment and soft touch hospitality focused on ESG, entertainment, connecting local and international travelers, for our community of owners who are well established, well-traveled, successful business people, and whom by taking notice of the changing world want to be part of that change, with high yield long-term investments that become the talk of the town.”

Knippenberg added: “Recently, we have signed up to enter new markets such as the UAE, Italy and Morocco. Egypt, Kuwait, Georgia and the UAE, are the next destinations set to open in 2022, with a pipeline supporting the opening of minimum 10 projects in 2023! For our lifestyle footprint growth, we are thankful to our visionary owners who have welcomed us as their extended hand and with whom we would like to share this global win.”

About Kerten Hospitality’s win, the Global Brand Magazine stated: “Your company was selected from a very competitive group of entrants, all of whom demonstrated unique and exceptional service delivery towards evolving Hospitality sectors. Kerten Hospitality was awarded this honor for its commitment to innovation, sustainability and service excellence.”

The Global Brand Awards were established with the aim of honoring excellence in performance and rewarding companies across different sectors.


25,000 attend Social Development Bank’s DeveGO25 forum

Updated 27 December 2025
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25,000 attend Social Development Bank’s DeveGO25 forum

The Social Development Bank concluded the second edition of the Entrepreneurship and Modern Business Practices Forum — DeveGo 2025 — announcing the achievement of high-impact outcomes that further reinforced the forum’s position as the largest national platform in the region dedicated to entrepreneurship, innovation, and freelance work in Saudi Arabia and beyond. 

The forum witnessed broad participation from local and international experts, investors, entrepreneurs, and representatives of local, regional, and international institutions.

Over three days at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center, the forum drew 25,000 participants and visitors, who benefited from over 45 specialized workshops and over 2500 advisory sessions delivered by more than 70 consultants and experts. 

The sessions covered key areas including entrepreneurial planning, business models, venture capital, digital platforms, freelancing, and emerging technologies. 

The forum also featured 20 panel discussions with leading local and international speakers, addressing major global trends in entrepreneurship, including the future of artificial intelligence, the creative economy, digital transformation, and venture investment. 

The forum saw the launch of the Saudi Empretec Fellowship, in the presence of Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development. 

The partners in success within the Social Responsibility Portfolio supporting entrepreneurs were honored. 

It also saw the honoring of 13 winners of the Handicrafts Competition, representing various regions of the Kingdom, the announcement of winners of the Salam Award for Promising Projects, and the recognition of leading entrepreneurial projects fund under the Enterprises Track. 

In addition, the NEXT UP Challenge concluded on the third day of the forum with 20 startups presenting their projects to more than 500 investors, enhancing opportunities for networking and partnership building.

As part of efforts to strengthen the support ecosystem, the forum witnessed the signing of 51 agreements, along with the launch of a suite of new financing products. These included the Capital Expansion Product with a ceiling of up to SR10 million, the Payroll Product with a ceiling of SR2 million, and the Rental Product with a ceiling of SR1.5 million, aimed at supporting enterprises in asset development and covering operational costs. 

This reflects the bank’s direction toward offering more specialized financing tools that respond effectively to market needs.

The forum concluded by reaffirming its role as a unifying national platform for entrepreneurship, where accompanying activities and events provided direct engagement opportunities between entrepreneurs, investors, and experts. 

The forum also highlighted success stories and practical experiences that reflect the scale of entrepreneurial momentum in the Kingdom and the growing role of the Social Development Bank in supporting a national economy driven by innovation and knowledge.