Rove Hotels expands to Saudi Arabia with first hotel in KAEC
Rove Hotels, a joint venture of Meraas and Emaar Properties PJSC, has announced its expansion to Saudi Arabia with the Rove King Abdullah Economic City. The project will be located centrally in the Bay La Sun waterfront district of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in the vicinity of the Prince Mohammad bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship (MBSC) and a newly established entrepreneurship hub.
Marking the debut of Rove Hotels in Saudi Arabia, Rove King Abdullah Economic City is the first hotel under the contemporary midscale lifestyle hotel brand outside the UAE. It will feature 240 rooms, fitness centers for men and women, and a wide range of lifestyle amenities. The construction work is anticipated to start in the second quarter of 2018 with the soft opening scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2019.
“KAEC is fast establishing a reputation as the domestic destination of choice for leisure visitors and business events and conferences. Our expanding range of entertainment and leisure offerings are having a tremendous impact on the city’s appeal and ability to deliver a standout experience for visitors,” said Ramzi Solh, CEO, Real Estate Operation and Management Company. “We have an aggressive development plan to expand our hotel and resort portfolio.”
Olivier Harnisch, chief executive officer of Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “Rove King Abdullah Economic City brings the innovative concept of contemporary midscale hospitality experiences to the Kingdom ... The expansion complements the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 to drive economic diversification with tourism development as a strategic growth area.”
Paul Bridger, corporate director of operations, Rove Hotels, said: “With five-star hotels accounting for the majority of hotel rooms, the need for highquality-midscale hotels is significant in the Kingdom. Rove Hotels is addressing the industry ‘white space’ through a new hotel concept that not only helps address the gap in midscale hotel rooms but also creates vibrant social spaces for the young tech-savvy Saudis. The philosophy of Rove Hotels is to deliver culturally inspiring and fuss-free service in central locations. Bay La Sun in KAEC is an ideal destination for the first Rove hotel in Saudi Arabia.”