Accor and Al Qimmah sign 850-key Novotel Makkah, taking partnership past 4,000 keys
Accor and Al Qimmah Hospitality, a subsidiary of BinDawood Investment Company, have announced the expansion of their strategic partnership to develop a portfolio of more than 4,000 keys across Saudi Arabia, with a strong focus on Makkah and Madinah. The expansion is marked by the signing of a new 850-key Novotel in Makkah. The two parties describe the portfolio as spanning premium, midscale and economy hospitality.
The signing was announced in Paris during the French-Saudi Investment Roundtable meeting, which brought together a Saudi delegation of leading business figures across key industries. It builds on the master development agreement established in 2025 between the two companies. With this addition, the partnership now comprises five hotels across Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah.
The new 850-key Novotel in Makkah is expected to open in 2030. Accor states that the hotel broadens the range of quality accommodation in Makkah and reinforces the group's position as the largest international hotel operator in the Holy Cities. The company links the project to the Kingdom's growing religious tourism sector and to Saudi Vision 2030 ambitions to strengthen tourism infrastructure and expand visitor capacity.
The partnership portfolio now consists of Mercure Makkah Shesha, ibis Styles Makkah Mesfalah, Mövenpick Madinah, Swissôtel Jeddah and the newly signed Novotel Makkah, representing more than 4,000 keys across five hotels. Accor says the expanded portfolio responds to growing demand for quality hospitality across a broader range of price points.
Beyond adding hotel rooms, the partnership is presented as contributing to job creation and Saudi talent development. That commitment is supported by Tamayyaz by Accor, the group's national talent programme run in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, which aims to develop and hire more than 3,000 Saudi nationals by 2030.
Duncan O'Rourke, Chief Executive Officer for Middle East, Africa & Asia Pacific at Accor, said: «Saudi Arabia is one of the world's most dynamic hospitality markets, and expanding our partnership with Al Qimmah Hospitality beyond 4,000 rooms reflects our shared confidence in its long-term potential. The addition of Novotel Makkah strengthens the choice of quality hospitality available to millions of pilgrims and visitors. But our ambition goes beyond hotels; it is equally about people.»
Dr. Abdulrazzaq Bindawood, Chairman, said: «Reaching more than 4,000 rooms across five hotels marks an important milestone in our partnership with Accor. The signing of Novotel Makkah reinforces our long-term investment in the Kingdom's hospitality sector and our ambition to develop quality accommodation that responds to the evolving needs of visitors and pilgrims.»
Accor has been present in Saudi Arabia for more than three decades and today operates 48 hotels with 21,600+ keys across the Kingdom, with a pipeline of a further 47 hotels and 11,400+ keys. Across more than 16 brands, the group serves religious, leisure and business travellers throughout the Kingdom. Accor operates in more than 110 countries with over 5,800 hotels and resorts and more than 45 hotel brands, and is headquartered in France.