French hotel operator and franchisor Accor is growing its portfolio in Saudi Arabia, with the planned opening of the first Novotel-branded property in the city of Madinah (Medina).

The property in central Madinah (above) will include 394 keys, three food and beverage outlets as well as meeting rooms and retail space. The term ''keys'' in this context is hotel industry jargon and does not correspond to the number of rooms but is a larger number.

Since the kingdom's launch of Vision 2030 in 2016, Accor has been continuously involved in the development of the hospitality landscape, including the introduction of unique development projects across the country and now adding a greenfield project.

Vision 2030 aims to cut Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, while promoting new industries including tourism to attract visitors in addition to those making the traditional religious pilgrimages. The Red Sea Project is a land and property development announced in July 2017, focused on massive growth of visitor numbers to the Saudi western coast, but also on regenerative tourism and sustainability.

According to the Red Sea Development Company the project is being created as a unique, luxury tourism destination that will interlink nature, culture and adventure, setting new standards in sustainable development and positioning Saudi Arabia on the global tourism map.

Few destinations have such diversity and wealth of treasures located close to each other – more than 200km of untouched coastline with pristine beaches and an archipelago of more than 90 unspoilt islands, rich marine habitats and ancient archaeological sites. 

On the mainland, artifacts of ancient civilizations remain standing among stunning desert landscapes, mountains and canyons. There are also more than 2,000 dormant volcanoes and a number of lava fields called harrats. Many of the volcanoes are in the Madinah region.

The Red Sea Project promises a special emphasis on environmental sustainability to ensure that the natural beauty of the destination will engage and excite visitors for generations to come. Seventy-five per cent of the pristine islands will remain undeveloped. Natural features and wildlife such as coral, hawksbill sea turtles and osprey will be protected.

The mega project will cover an area of 28,000 square kilometres and is expected to create 70,000 new jobs. The first phase is scheduled to be completed by 2023 and will include 3,000 hotel rooms, an airport, a marina and recreation centres.

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This is clearly an exciting development, but the key question for most Western travellers will be whether Saudi Arabia is prepared to relax its strict laws on alcohol consumption, women's dress and gender segregation. It has been reported that the kingdom is planning to develop a semi-autonomous tourist resort that will be "governed by laws on par with international standards." Time will tell.

Meanwhile Saudi Arabia is going all out to attract international visitors to its current offerings, granting visas to fully COVID-vaccinated citizens of 49 countries including most European nations, the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore among others. See the full list here.

New Novotel in prime position in Madinah

The new Novotel Madinah will be in close proximity to the Holy Mosque and directly on King Faisal Road at its intersection with Amr Bin Al Aas Street, offering guests easy access to every main road in the city.

Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport is 23 minutes away from the hotel site while Madinah Train Station will be around 13 minutes from the property. 

"This is a great opportunity to introduce the first Novotel property to the Holy City and increase further Novotel's footprint in the kingdom," said Mark Willis, chief executive of Accor India, Middle East, Africa & Turkey.

"As a key player in the Saudi 2030 vision, we are proud to contribute to the country's development on the hospitality and tourism front while expanding Accor's presence as the leading hospitality group in the region."

Accor currently operates 34 properties in Saudi Arabia, with another 25 properties in the pipeline.

Madinah photos: Unsplash

Useful links

​Welcome to Saudi Arabia - Visit Saudi Official Website