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For an American pilgrim in Saudi Arabia, a discovery of fellowship
The biggest surprise during my circuits of the Kaaba was that men and women prayed side by side during the five daily prayers. Traditionally, men and women are segregated in prayer, but in the Grand Mosque, when the time of prayer arrives, everyone just prays wherever they are standing at that moment.
Mecca aims to keep its heritage
Future development in the Muslim sacred city of Mecca will be more in tune with traditional architecture, the mayor says, but for now residents worry that Islam’s holiest sites are disappearing behind skyscrapers.
Riyadh hotels sees 40% increase in occupancy rates
According to data by STR Global, hotels in the Saudi capital, Riyadh have seen strong occupancy growth in September with a 40% rise in occupancy rates, average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (revPAR) in September compared to the same month in 2010, Saudi Gazette has reported.
Visiting Saudi Arabia on Business
Saundi Arabia can often be a good place for many companies to do business. However, there are a few things which you may want to bare in mind when making a business trip to this country.
Saudi Arabia shuts 14 hotels in Riyadh
The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has shut down 14 hotels and furnished apartments after inspectors found them in violation of the set standards, Saudi Gazette has reported.
Saudi group launches $25m Beirut hotel
The hotel offers four exclusive types of suites – Royal Penthouse Suite (duplex), Royal Suite, Presidential Suite and Ambassador Suite, offering 10 sea view suites, each spread out on a separate floor, according to Abdulkader Hankir, chief operating officer of KAS Investment – hospitality division.
SCTA shuts down 36 hotels and furnished apartments
The SCTA has warned owners of about 40 other hospitality institutions that they would face closure if they did not correct their situation before the deadline.
Last week, the commission closed 14 furnished apartments in Riyadh and gave final warning to three hotels. The institutions were closed as they were operating without licenses and were not fulfilling other SCTA conditions aimed at improving their service standards.
New seaside hotel planned for Dammam
DAMMAM: The city will be getting a new SR260 million, 240-room hotel along its Corniche through an agreement between the Riyadh-based SHUAA Saudi Hospitality Fund and Abdulla Fouad Holding Co., the financial institution announced. The Rayhaan by Rotana Hotel will be located on the Al-Ashra Roundabout and offer unobstructed views of the Arabian Gulf as well as easy access to highways linking Dammam to King Fahd International Airport, Jubail, Alkhobar and Dhahran.
Abdul Latif Jameel eyes hotel brand in Kingdom
Abdul Latif Jameel Real Estate Investment Company has announced its intention to create a Saudi-cultured hotel brand which will open its first property in the second half of 2011. Egyptian national Mahmoud Mokhtar has been appointed as chief operating officer for the hotel division, which is so new it does not even have a name yet, and he will drive the company’s growth aspirations within Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region.
Saudi Kingdom group’s Q3 profits boosted by hotels
Saudi tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom group said Monday its hotel business helped to boost its third-quarter net profit by 52.6 percent on year to 160 million riyals ($42.7 million). Kingdom said its net profit for the quarter ended 30 September was up 18.1 percent from the previous three months, when it earned 135.4 million riyals ($36.1 million).
