Accor and Al Qimmah Hospitality expand strategic partnership beyond 4,000 keys with the signing of Novotel Makkah

Accor, a world-leading hospitality group, and Al Qimmah Hospitality, a subsidiary of BinDawood Investment Company, have announced the expansion of their strategic partnership to develop a portfolio of more than 4,000 keys across Saudi Arabia, with a strong focus on Makkah and Madinah, marked by the signing of a new 850-key Novotel in Makkah.

Partnership Highlights
- Scope: More than 4,000 keys across five hotels in Jeddah, Makkah, and Madinah.
- New Signing: An 850-key Novotel in Makkah, expected to open in 2030.
- Portfolio: Mercure Makkah Shesha, ibis Styles Makkah Mesfalah, Mövenpick Madinah, Swissôtel Jeddah, and Novotel Makkah.

Strategic Importance
- Reinforces Accor’s position as the largest international hotel operator in the Holy Cities.
- Supports Saudi Vision 2030 by expanding visitor capacity and strengthening tourism infrastructure.
- Focus on religious tourism, catering to millions of pilgrims annually.

Talent Development
- Backed by Tamayyaz by Accor, a national talent program with the Saudi Ministry of Tourism.
- Goal: Train and hire 3,000+ Saudi nationals by 2030, building future hospitality leaders.

Accor in Saudi Arabia
- Present for over 30 years.
- Operates 48 hotels with 21,600+ keys.
- Pipeline: 47 more hotels with 11,400+ keys.
- Portfolio spans 16+ brands, serving religious, leisure, and business travelers.

This move shows how Accor is balancing scale (thousands of rooms) with social impact (job creation and training), while Hyatt’s Comporta project in Portugal is more about boutique luxury positioning.