The 2025 summit also facilitated 11 high-profile hotel signings and strategic announcements, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s commitment to delivering more than 362,000 new hotel rooms by 2030 as part of its USD 10 billion tourism development pipeline under Vision 2030.
Shaping the agenda: Advisory Board convenes in Riyadh
The FHS Saudi Arabia 2026 Advisory Board – comprising senior leaders from across the global hospitality industry – met in Riyadh last week to outline the strategic direction of next year’s programme. The discussions centred on the summit’s 2026 theme, “Where Opportunity Meets Capital,” which will guide debates on investment flows, hotel development and the future performance outlook for the Kingdom’s hospitality sector.
FHS Saudi Arabia 2026 Advisory Board Group
Key insights from the Advisory Board included:
- A strong opportunity to expand homegrown Saudi hospitality brands that reflect local identity.
- Growing demand for experience-driven tourism, organic travel and nature-based offerings.
- Rapid global growth in branded residences, with under-construction inventory up 455% over the past decade.
- The need for greater clarity around foreign ownership and FDI regulations, especially as interest in branded residential offerings rises.
- A call for more robust industry data and enhanced pipeline visibility to support efficient planning across developers and operators.
- The importance of balancing the current luxury-heavy pipeline with stronger mid-market development.
- The need to diversify beyond traditional banking models toward alternative financing tools, including capital markets.
These themes will be reflected across six content pillars in the FHS Saudi Arabia 2026 programme: Investment & Real Estate, Technology & Innovation, Talent & Education, Wellness & Lifestyle, F&B and Experiences, and the dedicated Branded Residences Forum.
Industry leaders welcome the return of FHS Saudi Arabia
Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench, emphasised the importance of the Advisory Board’s input in shaping next year’s agenda: “Our Advisory Board meetings are instrumental in helping us steer our conference agendas and we were thrilled to have so many of the industry’s most senior leaders in the room in Riyadh last week. We look forward to another milestone event in 2026, driven by the industry, for the industry.”
Khalid S. Abuhaimed, CEO of Al Khozama Investments, highlighted the significance of hosting FHS in Riyadh again: “Hosting FHS reflects our continued involvement in shaping the hospitality landscape in Saudi Arabia. The summit brings together leaders who are actively defining the sector’s next phase, and we value the opportunity to contribute our experience in this dialogue. As Saudi advances its tourism ambitions, we remain committed to supporting the market with measured, high-quality development.”
A pivotal platform for investment and collaboration
As Saudi Arabia continues its rapid expansion in tourism and hospitality, FHS Saudi Arabia remains a central platform for investment partnerships, strategic alignment and sector-wide collaboration. The 2026 edition is expected to deliver actionable insights and foster new opportunities across a market witnessing unprecedented growth and transformation.
The event will once again convene global investors, operators, developers and policy leaders – reinforcing Riyadh’s position as a key hub for hospitality innovation and investment in the Middle East.
