The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia opened today at the Jeddah Center for Forums and Events bringing together 120 exhibitors from 24 countries representing various supply chains of the hospitality sector across the Middle East and beyond.

Dr. Hani Abu Ras inaugurated the two-day event being held under the patronage of Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the president & chairman of board of directors of SCTA.

Spread across 8,500 sqm of space, The Hotel Show boasts an impressive array of products and services for the hotel and hospitality industries, including: food & beverage, technology, operating equipment and supplies, interior & design, and outdoor & resort experience, said the organisers.

"Jeddah and its existing strong potential helped in developing the hospitality sector and establishing it as the leading player in national tourism as well as across the Middle East," remarked Mazen bin Mohammed Batterjee, the VP of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jeddah.

“Last year, there were 36 exhibitions and 6 summits held in Jeddah which increasingly attracted more international companies to take advantage of Jeddah’s unique proximity and business opportunities, and year after year, Jeddah has proven to be one of the strongest business hubs on the Kingdom’s map,” Batterjee added.

Speaking at the launch,  Abu Ras said: "Organizing such events, represents the essential role that the tourism industry in the Kingdom plays in increasing the number of tourists and visitors to the city hosting those events."

"Realizing this fact, we are very keen on collaborating with all the government entities to increase the number of tourists and visitors coming to Jeddah which will boost the economic performance of Jeddah, thus reflecting positively on the Kingdom as a whole," he added.

”The exhibition brings together 120 exhibitors from regional and international manufacturers and suppliers for the hospitality, catering, food & beverage industries. Among the exhibitors are leading companies such as Al Diyafa, Aqua Panna, Illy, McCain, Nespresso, Cotton Empire, Linen Company, Artasa, Digivalet, SIOM, and Poly Products.

The three-day show will bring together an anticipated 5,000-plus invited buyers from across Saudi’s hotel and hospitality industries, including: hotel owners, hospitality managers, food and beverage managers, catering managers, restaurateurs, and IT managers.

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia, organised by MICE Arabia Group and co-organised by dmg::events, has been established due to the success of dmg :: events’ world-class Hotel Show in Dubai.

Mohammed Al Amry, the executive director of the General Authority for Tourism and Antiquities in Makkah region, said the event is one of the Kingdom’s most important exhibitions.

"The Saudi tourism sector has seen a growth of 18.9 per cent between 2010 /2011, while the hospitality sector has been performing strongly with 157,000 licensed rooms in 2011, a number which will increase by 39,000 rooms by 2015.," he noted.

"Jeddah is now considered one of the busiest cities with occupancy over 65 per cent in 2011, while Makkah has recorded 18 per cent annual growth in hotel investments," he added.-TradeArabia News Service