JEDDAH – The Saudi Arabian government continues to invest billions of riyals into various infrastructure and hospitality related projects in the Kingdom which is facilitating a construction boom, while also stimulating growth of the country's hospitality industry, especially tourism for religious purposes. A total of 100 towers worth SR 18 billion are currently under construction near the Grand Mosque in Makkah. Once all the projects are completed, the city will see the addition of over 24,480 hotel rooms, apart from other infrastructure facilities. On the other hand, the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, the closest airport to Makkah, is undergoing a capacity expansion from 12 million to 14 million passengers per year. Additionally, SR62 billion is being invested for the Makkah Metro project to cater to the requirements of the steadily increasing number of tourists visiting Saudi Arabia for religious reasons. This and various other infrastructure projects in the Kingdom are in turn creating new opportunities in the hospitality industry, especially for many private sector players who are involved in several hospitality-related construction projects. Among various major developments taking shape in Makkah is the Jabal Al Kaaba project which will deliver 1743 hotel rooms during the second quarter of 2013 through the “Anjum Hotel” alone, which is rapidly nearing completion and represents 7.3 percent of the total new hotel accommodation capacity that will be offered in Makkah. Upon completion of the whole project, an additional 8,500 rooms will be added, through the cluster of hotels under the Anjum Hotels brand which represents 34.7 percent of the total capacity. Currently, the entire structure of the Anjum hotel is complete, with finishing and interior works set to begin shortly. The company behind the Jabal Al Kaaba project, Abdul Latif Jameel Real Estate Investment Co (ALJREIC) will be selecting the interiors of the hotel to reflect the Saudi Hijazi culture, while also complementing the overall elegance and international standards of the hotel. Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel, Chairman, ALJREIC, said: “Our current focus is on the timely completion of the Anjum Hotel, which is the flagship hotel of our ‘Anjum Hotels' brand. A hotel of this scale will be a welcome addition to the holy city of Makkah, which is set to receive more than 13 million Muslim travelers going on Haj and Umrah by 2019, up from 3.8 million during the last two years. We are also keen on complementing the government's development plans throughout the country and key projects such as the various construction projects, the expansion of Jeddah International Airport and the Makkah Metro, among others. We also endorse the directions of the Saudi Commission for Travel and Antiquities (SCTA) as well as the wise directions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah.” Mahmoud Mokhtar, Chief Operating Officer of Abdul Latif Jameel Real Estate Investment Co., said: “Every detail of the construction and the interior design of the hotel are closely monitored by the management to ensure that the project is on schedule and also to meet the highest standards of quality. – SG
