Silkhaus Appoints Founding GM For KSA

Sabine El Najjar joins the proptech firm after working across the region’s start-up ecosystem and management consulting industry

UAE based proptech start-up Silkhaus, dedicated to revolutionising short-term rentals across Asia, has announced the appointment of Sabine El Najjar as the Founding General Manager for KSA. This appointment marks a significant milestone in Silkhaus’ journey as it continues to expand and grow across the Middle East. Focused on the $14 billion short-term rental sector across Asia, Silkhaus leverages technology to provide asset owners with infrastructure tools to manage and monetise properties.

Based in Saudi Arabia, Sabine brings a wealth of experience to her new role at Silkhaus, having worked across the region’s start-up ecosystem and management consulting industry. She previously served as General Manager for Kitopi KSA, where she showcased some remarkable leadership skills. Prior to that, she honed her skills in the consulting world at prestigious firms such as McKinsey and Strategy&. Originally from Lebanon, Sabine holds an MBA from the prestigious London Business School and a BA from the American University of Beirut.

“Over the past year, we have experienced over 170% growth in managed properties. With the strong recovery in business and leisure travel, there is demand for high quality and well-maintained properties. The opportunity for landlords to secure income 20-40% more than traditional rental options is attractive. As Saudi nationals invest in the Kingdom’s real estate sector, we are keen to partner with them, and help them to successfully monetise their assets,” said Aahan Bhojani, Founder & CEO, Silkhaus.

Saudi Arabia’s real estate industry continues to grow rapidly, in-line with the government’s transformation agenda as part of Vision 2030. Earlier in September 2023, the government of KSA announced housing projects valued at $17.3 billion. Since 2016, the Kingdom’s real estate and infrastructure projects announced as part of its National Transformation Plan has crossed $1.25 trillion.

Founded in 2021, guests from more than 120 countries have stayed at Silkhaus properties. In 2022, Silkhaus raised $7.75 million from global investors, in one of the largest seed rounds in the region.