The third edition of the Saudi Hospitality Investment Conference (SHIC) concluded Wednesday at the Riyadh Airport Marriott Hotel, where Dur Hospitality hosted the prestigious event as the strategic partner, under the patronage of the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH), and in partnership with Bench Events and MEED. The event i in the presence of over 350 dignitaries, industry experts, hoteliers and investors. The Chairman of Dur Hospitality Eng. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Issa expressed Dur's delight in hosting this remarkable event for the third consecutive year, and reiterated the company's pride in leading efforts to transform the Saudi hospitality sector, while exploring new avenues that will enhance the company's offerings as a key player and contributor to the tourism industry, a key sector within the growing Saudi economy which is forecast to increase its contribution to the Kingdom's GDP by 8% by 2030. Dur Hospitality unveiled its accomplishments during the event, the most prominent being its upcoming plan for the year, including the expansion of the Riyadh Airport Marriott Hotel with the addition of 100 rooms and suites. The company also shed light on the growth of its subsidiary brand Makarem Hotels and its portfolio doubling with 2181 rooms in the pipeline to be opened in the Kingdom's holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, ensuring a steady path towards Makarem's target of 5000 rooms by 2023. Additionally, Dur celebrated its employee Haneen Baljoun who was distinguished with the renowned Saudi Young Leader Award for her extraordinary performance and contributions to the success of the company's operations as the first and only LEED accredited female engineer in Dur to work on the LEED Gold Certified hotel – Marriott Diplomatic Quarter, among many other leading projects. In this regard, Dur CEO Sultan Al Otaibi said that the company has proudly highlighted its recent accomplishments through SHIC, further augmenting its brand among industry leaders and potential investors. He also underscored Dur's dedication toward supporting national talents, an aspect clearly demonstrated through Dur's employee receiving the prestigious Saudi Young Leader Award. Moreover, he expressed his confidence in Dur's progress and positive outlook for the coming phase as the company continues to operate and develop more world-class properties throughout Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, Dur's President of Hotel Operations Hassan Ahdab participated among 90 high-profile speakers at the conference, speaking at the panel "Leaders Perspective – Transform tomorrow and building ground up" where he shed light on a series of recent accomplishments by Dur including a remarkable portfolio expansion over the last year through signing 4 properties that will increase the hotel keys to 4499. He also commended the company's efforts to fill in market gaps through leveraging partnerships and initiatives to deliver the best standards and achieve increased profitability. Shifting the spotlight to Dur's efforts and initiatives in empowering national talent, the Saudi Student Summit session opened discussions between the students of Dur Academy and industry leaders on prospects and career opportunities within the industry. — SG
