JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Sport on Tuesday signed agreements with local and international companies to develop, build, manage and operate two new hotels at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
The ministry said the hotels will be world-class establishments built to the highest engineering standards, and offer integrated services designed to meet the needs of international sporting delegations and other visitors.
The ministry’s acting director general of investment, Badr Al-Juraissi, attended signing ceremonies for the agreements with Kushan Real Estate Development Company, represented by its CEO, Marwan Al-Qaidi; Zuhair Fayez Partnership, which will provide design and engineering consultancy services and was represented by its chairperson, Zuhair Fayez; and IHG Hotels and Resorts, which will provide hotel services and was represented by Haitham Mattar, its regional managing director.
The hotels, expected to provide a total of 585 rooms, will be built on a 16,000-square-meter site at the sports city, the ministry said, and will help support the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to attract major sporting events.
The development will also include a fan zone, fitness and sports clubs, swimming pools, international restaurants, retail stores, dedicated areas for athletes, and conference and event spaces.
The ministry said the initiative forms part of its ongoing efforts to achieve its strategic goals, including engagement with the private sector in the development of the nation’s sports industry. It will also support environmental improvements through infrastructure development, and in doing so directly contribute to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, officials said.
