• We are currently looking at 14 properties and have 12 in the pipeline that are signed, top official says
• We are concentrating not only on the big cities but also on other destinations. When the tourists come, they will also want to visit smaller cities

Widad Taleb and Theresa Stevens

RIYADH: Paris-based Louvre Hotels Group has signed up 12 properties and identified 14 locations to fuel its expansion plans in Saudi Arabia, said a top executive.

“We are currently looking at 14 properties and have 12 in the pipeline that are signed. We also have another six to eight properties that are under negotiation across different destinations in the Kingdom,” Paul Diab, vice president of operations, Middle East and North Africa region, Louvre Hotels Group, told Arab News.

The locations under consideration include places such as Alkhobar, Jazan, Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah and Riyadh.

“We are concentrating not only on the big cities but also on other destinations. When the tourists come, they will also want to visit smaller cities such as Abha, which has unique things to offer,” said Diab.
According to Diab, the Red Sea and Abha are important destinations as the Kingdom aims to attract 100 million visitors as part of the Vision 2030 blueprint.

“Louvre is keen to make sure that at least one or two of our brands are available to be part of the giga-projects,” he said.

Louvre Hotels Group already operates 16 hotels in some of the most sought-after locations in Saudi Arabia.

He further added: “With our experience being in the region for the last 35 years, we have seen different cities also have big growth, which gives us an advantage to be part of the growth that’s happening in the Kingdom.”

The hospitality major ventured into the Kingdom in June last year with the launch of Golden Tulip Riyadh. The hotel has 94 rooms, including 15 suites.