Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia marks ninth edition in Riyadh | News
The Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Saudi Arabia – the Kingdom’s most influential hospitality investment conference – will return to the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah in Riyadh from April 20 to 22, 2026, following the success of this year’s event, which brought together more than 1,100 global investors, innovators and senior decision-makers in the hospitality industry and facilitated 11 high-profile hotel and strategic announcements, furthering Saudi Arabia’s push to go beyond 362,000 new hotel rooms to be created by 2030 through the $10 billion tourism development pipeline as part of Vision 2030.
At this year’s summit, delegates reported $1.6 billion in business opportunities, underscoring FHS’s role as the region’s premier deal-making forum.
Under next year’s theme “Where opportunity and capital meet,” FHS Saudi Arabia 2026 will unite hospitality leaders and decision-makers to discuss the performance and development of hotels, the prospects for investment in the hospitality industry in the Kingdom and the key market trends driving the sector, with the aim of actionable results that will transform the industry, which continues to witness unprecedented growth.
It consists of some of the hospitality industry’s most prominent leaders FHS 2026 Saudi Arabia The Advisory Council met last week in Riyadh to discuss what drives Saudi hospitality, providing perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing the Kingdom’s tourism sector as the journey towards Vision 2030 accelerates.
Key insights to emerge from the discussions included the opportunity to further spread homegrown Saudi hospitality brands that define the Kingdom’s identity; the development of experience-driven and organic tourism segments; and the global branded residential boom – with the number of projects under construction increasing by 455% over the past decade – and what this growth could mean for the sector in Saudi Arabia. Participants also emphasized the need for greater clarity on changing laws on foreign ownership and foreign direct investment, especially as interest in branded housing offerings continues to increase.
The rapid pace of new development in the Kingdom, which represents the largest hotel pipeline in the region, also highlighted several strategic focus areas to ensure development plans stay on track, including the need for more robust sector data and pipeline visibility. With around 50 percent of new developments coming from the luxury segment, a rebalance between the luxury and mid-market segments would be crucial. Furthermore, dependence on traditional financing models and the banking sector has been increased by the need to diversify into alternative forms of debt financing, such as capital markets, in line with new government regulations.
These and a range of other topics will be addressed in six substantive themes in the FHS Saudi Arabia 2026 agenda: Investments & Real Estate, Technology & Innovation, Talent & Education, Wellness & Lifestyle, F&B and Experiences and the special Branded Residences Forum.
Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench, said: “Our Advisory Board meetings are vital in helping us drive our conference agendas and we were thrilled to have so many of the industry’s most senior leaders in Riyadh last week. We look forward to another milestone in 2026, driven by the industry, for the industry.”
Mr. Khalid S. Abuhaimed, Chief Executive Officer of Al Khozama Investments commented: “Hosting FHS reflects our continued commitment to shaping the hospitality landscape in Saudi Arabia. The summit brings together leaders who are actively defining the next phase of the industry, and we appreciate the opportunity to bring our experience to this dialogue. As Saudi Arabia further develops its tourism ambitions, we remain committed to supporting the market with measured, high-quality development.”
For more information about the 2026 edition of the Future Hospitality Summit, please visit https://www.futurehospitality.com
