Habitas to open many properties in KSA

The hotel group to have six new properties across the kingdom

Habitas, the hotel and events company, which was born from the camps of the Burning Man Festival in Nevada, USA; is all set to expand exponentially across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In fact, the kingdom is investing 1.5 billion riyal ($400 million) to expand the hospitality brand and by 2024, the latter will have as many as six new properties in KSA, in addition to the two existing ones.

“What’s amazing about the kingdom is just how diverse the geography is,” says Oliver Ripley, CEO of Habitas. “A lot of these locations were difficult to access, or access was until recently restricted for religious reasons.” The funding will be anchored by the Saudi Tourism Development Fund (TDF) which was established in June 2020 with 15 billion riyal to finance the industry’s growth. With an aim to attract more international tourists, the kingdom hopes to see at least 100 million tourists annually by 2030 and increase tourism’s share of the economy from 3 per cent to 10 per cent, according to a document on the fund’s website.

Though it’s still unclear where the properties will be built, Ripley notifies that the company is likely to build one property on the Red Sea on the country’s west coast and another near Jeddah, with Riyadh as a possible third spot. He foresees that visitors coming from anywhere between three days to two weeks can explore the kingdom in a circuit between the hotels in an experience called ‘A Journey of Discovery Through Saudi Arabia’. Although a relatively new concept, hotel circuits are becoming increasingly popular with travellers who want to cover a large part of a country while staying within one brand’s familiar confines. Habitas’ circuit, if completed, could be one of the most comprehensive in the world.

With this deal, 40 per cent of the company’s current and upcoming properties will be in the kingdom. Habitas’ property Al-Ula, a desert oasis in northwest Saudi Arabia where it opened a boho-luxe property with a mixed-gender infinity pool in 2021, has been a hit with the tourists.