AI hyper-personalization to catapult hospitality industry to new heights: FHS  

Enquire AI CEO Cenk Sidar. Screenshot.
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Updated 26 September 2023
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AI hyper-personalization to catapult hospitality industry to new heights: FHS  

RIYADH: Artificial intelligence will soon recommend personalized services to hotel guests based on their previous stays and preferences thanks to its emerging hyper-personalization features, revealed the CEO of a US-based AI insights company. 

Speaking at the Future Hospitality Summit in Abu Dhabi on Monday, Enquire AI CEO Cenk Sidar told Arab News that technological developments will allow market players to provide customized solutions. 

“Hyper-personalization is an important subject for travel and would require millions of dollars of investment now that there are hundreds of large language models like ChatGPT,” said Sidar. 

According to Amsterdam-based hospitality technology company User Guest, personalization drives performance and better customer outcomes.  

Companies that grow faster drive 40 percent more revenue from personalization than their slower counterparts.  

User Guest’s tool utilizes advanced data analysis to identify guest preferences and behavior patterns, allowing hotels to offer highly personalized experiences tailored to each guest’s needs.  

For instance, if a guest is searching for a last-minute booking, the hotel can offer a special rate for those dates while optimizing its occupancy needs. 

“Any solution that would provide simplicity and convenience to the end user will have a competitive edge,” added Sidar. 

He revealed that the more data is collected, the better the understanding and analysis will be, consequently contributing to devising the appropriate solution. 

Sidar envisaged this kind of technology becoming commonplace in the coming years. 

Branded residences 

Speaking at another panel on branded residences, Turab Saleem, head of hospitality, tourism and leisure advisory services at Knight Frank in the Middle East and North Africa, shed light on the power of the brand.  

“You easily get an average of 18 to 25 percent increase in value by switching from non-branded to branded,” Saleem highlighted. 

He spoke about how even with two developments right next to each other, the branded one fetches 50 percent better pricing. 

Centered around the theme “Focus on Investment,” the summit serves as a catalyst for change, facilitating interactions among over 1,000 hospitality leaders through debates, dialogues, initiatives and announcements.  

Hosted at the Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, the agenda for the three-day event includes contributions from more than 150 speakers in panel discussions, one-on-one interviews, roundtables, innovation pitches and student-led sessions. 


Closing Bell: Saudi benchmark index closes lower at 10,540 

Updated 24 December 2025
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Closing Bell: Saudi benchmark index closes lower at 10,540 

RIYADH: Saudi equities ended Wednesday’s session lower, with the Tadawul All Share Index falling 55.13 points, or 0.52 percent, to close at 10,540.72. 

The sell-off was mirrored across other indices, with the MSCI Tadawul 30 Index retreating 5.79 points, or 0.41 percent, to close at 1,393.32, while the parallel market Nomu slipped 74.56 points, or 0.32 percent, to 23,193.21.  

Market breadth remained firmly negative, as decliners outpaced advancers, with 207 stocks ending the session lower against just 51 gainers on the main market. 

Trading activity moderated compared to recent sessions, with volumes reaching 123.5 million shares, while total traded value stood at SR2.72 billion ($725.2 million). 

On the sectoral and stock level, Al Moammar Information Systems Co. led the gainers after surging 9.96 percent to close at SR172.30, extending its rally following a series of contract announcements tied to data center and IT infrastructure projects.  

Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co. climbed 4.89 percent to SR27.48, while Naqi Water Co. advanced 3.36 percent to SR58.50. Al Yamamah Steel Industries Co. and Al-Jouf Agricultural Development Co. also posted solid gains, rising 3 percent and 2.86 percent, respectively. 

Losses, however, were concentrated in industrial names. Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. fell 3.67 percent to SR4.73, while Makkah Construction and Development Co. slid 3.44 percent to SR80.  

Saudi Tadawul Group Holding Co. retreated 3.28 percent to SR147.50, weighed down by broader market weakness, and Saudi Cable Co. declined 3.18 percent to SR143.  

Alkhaleej Training and Education Co. rounded out the top losers, shedding just over 3 percent. 

On the announcement front, BinDawood Holding announced the signing of a share purchase agreement to acquire 51 percent of Wonder Bakery LLC in the UAE for 96.9 million dirhams, marking a strategic expansion of its food manufacturing footprint beyond Saudi Arabia.   

The acquisition, which remains subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to support the group’s regional growth ambitions and strengthen supply chain integration.  

BinDawood shares closed at SR4.68, up 0.43 percent, reflecting a positive market reaction to the overseas expansion move.  

Meanwhile, Al Moammar Information Systems disclosed the contract sign-off for the renewal of IT systems support licenses with the Saudi Central Bank, valued at SR114.4 million, inclusive of VAT.   

The 36-month contract is expected to have a positive financial impact starting from fourth quarter of 2025, reinforcing MIS’s position as a key technology partner for critical government institutions. The stock surged to the session’s limit making it the top gainer. 

In a separate disclosure, Maharah Human Resources confirmed the completion of the sale of its entire stake in Care Shield Holding Co. through its subsidiary, Growth Avenue Investments, for a total consideration of SR434.3 million.  

The transaction involved the transfer of 41.36 percent of Care Shield’s share capital to Dallah Healthcare, with Maharah receiving the full cash proceeds.  

Despite the strategic divestment, Maharah shares closed lower, ending the session at SR6.12, down 1.29 percent.