IHG Hotels & Resorts Reaffirms Commitment To Develop Local Talent in Saudi Arabia

IHG® Hotels & Resorts  has launched a campaign reaffirming company’s commitment to develop Saudi talent in the Kingdom, reinforcing the significance of the Kingdom in the global brand’s regional growth ambitions. IHG aims to hire more than 6000 Saudi nationals across its growing portfolio in the Kingdom by 2030. 

Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG said: “Hospitality has always been an integral part of the Saudi culture, and now plays a pivotal role in the realization of Vision 2030 and in achieving greater economic prosperity and global recognition.

Saudi Arabia is one of our key markets in the region and accounts for almost a quarter of our brand footprint in the Middle East with 37 hotels in operation, and more than 23 hotels in the current pipeline, across brands such as Six Senses, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo voco, Holiday Inn brand family and Staybridge Suites. As we continue to sign more hotels, we are also creating more opportunities for Saudi talent to showcase their cultural heritage, natural landmarks and cuisine. By way of this campaign, we are inviting young Saudis to join one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, become a part of this exciting industry and help us convey Saudi Arabia’s ‘True Arabian Hospitality’ and position the country as one of the most sought out tourist destinations in the world.”

The campaign is focusses on showcasing the range and progression of careers in the hospitality sector through a LinkedIn video series here. Each video highlights the career progression of some of its Saudi talent who have worked and grown with the company in recent years.  Additionally, in the coming months, the campaign will feature discussions around choosing hospitality as a long terms career across social media channels. Key opinion leaders in the Kingdom will also be brought on board to raise awareness about exciting career opportunities in the hospitality sector and specifically with IHG.   

As one of the largest international hotel companies in Saudi Arabia, IHG places significant focus on hiring, developing and retaining local talent. The company currently employs over 4500 employees across its managed hotels in Saudi Arabia, 35% of which are Saudi nationals. IHG is committed to continuous talent planning, with a number of initiatives in place such as the IHG Academy, which is a pioneering global collaboration between IHG and local education and community providers. As part of the initiative, IHG has partnered with 27 leading universities and institutes to provide Saudi youth with more education  and employment opportunities. 

IHG has opened an office in Riyadh as the company continues to expand its portfolio in the Kingdom in response to Vision 2030 and the opportunities it presents to the tourism and hospitality sector. 

IHG currently operates 37 hotels across 5 brands in Saudi Arabia, including: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn , Staybridge Suites and voco with a further 23 hotels in the development pipeline due to open within the next three to five years.  

**Numbers as of September 30th, 2021