JEDDAH – The Elaf Group of Companies, a leader in Saudi travel, tourism and hospitality, has started the construction of four new hotels in Jeddah, Makkah and Madina valued at SR400 million. The announcement follows Elaf Group's recent achievement of a 30 percent increase in revenue during the first quarter of 2012 over the same quarter last year, which has given the Group the confidence to double the number of its hotel rooms to 5,000 before the end of the year. "The announcement of these four new projects is in line with our efforts to expand our investment portfolio. The new hotels, which are aimed for completion from 2012 to 2014 depending on property, include the 'Elaf Bakkah' and the 'Elaf Al Kawthar' in Makkah; the 'Elaf Galleria' in Jeddah and another hotel in Madina to be named later. These projects are part of our continuous efforts to address the demands of the increasing number of tourists visiting the Kingdom. We will remain steadfast in our commitment to support the government's move to promote Saudi tourism and help the sector become a major contributor to the country's economy," said Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, President of Elaf Group. The Group's robust growth over the first three months of 2012 can be attributed to its continuing initiatives to provide best-in-class tourism services and contribute to the Kingdom's move toward tourism and sustainable development. Moreover, the company has reaffirmed its core focus on playing a major part in the Kingdom's efforts toward Saudization, which aims to provide more employment opportunities to Saudi nationals in the tourism sector. "The Elaf Group will not only continue to play a vital role for local and regional tourism development, but also across international tourism markets. We will continue to offer world- class tourism products and services that are in line with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities. Our ultimate goal is to strengthen the Kingdom's presence and position in the international tourism market, making it a prime global tourist destination," Bin Mafouz noted. – SG
