Hilton Pivots to Mid-Market Hotels in Saudi Arabia After Luxury Build-Out

Hilton's president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Simon Vincent, says the top end of Saudi Arabia's hotel market is now largely established after years of luxury development, with Conrad, Waldorf Astoria, Hilton, Curio Collection and DoubleTree properties already operating across the kingdom.

The company's next phase in Saudi Arabia will centre on mid-market brands and franchising, which Vincent describes as a common path for maturing hotel markets.

He points to Turkey as the clearest precedent. Hilton's presence there began with the Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus in 1955 and now spans more than 100 hotels nationwide.

That build-out was driven mainly by mid-market names — Hilton Garden Inn in provincial towns and Hampton by Hilton in secondary cities — rather than additional Conrad or Waldorf Astoria addresses.

Vincent says the mid-market properties are the best hotels in most of the towns and cities where they operate, framing the segment as the main source of the next wave of demand.

Hilton's existing Saudi footprint includes the Madinah Hilton, among other properties in the country.