International hotel group, Minor Hotels, has its sights set on the Middle East, with plans to dominate the region’s luxury hospitality industry.

Although that might sound like a bit of an exaggeration, it’s far from so as the group is aiming to open around 50 new properties across the region in the next two years. Thirty of which are designated for Saudi Arabia alone.

Ian Di Tullio, the Chief Commercial Officer at Minor Hotels, revealed the group’s plans for the Middle East in a recent interview with Hotelier. Di Tullio said the group is working closely with Saudi Arabia’s tourism leaders at the Tourism Development Fund (TDF) on the expansion which will include well-established and new brands such as Anantara, Avani, NH Collection, NH, Oaks, and Tivoli.

“We have multiple hospitality projects in the works, including in NEOM and Riyadh, plus a number of properties with TDF,” Di Tullio told the publication.

Di Tullio continued, saying the group is taking a multi-faceted approach across the Middle East to help “generate demand and cater to the needs to discerning guests from the region as they travel throughout our global portfolio”.

Minor Hotels has slowly increased its portfolio across the Middle East in recent years and operates brands such an Anantara and NH Collection out of the UAE and Qatar, and Avani in Oman. 

The group also recently appointed of a cluster team to enhance operations at select UAE properties, and the announcement of a complete transition of La Suite Dubai to NH Collection La Suite Dubai.

Di Tullio added that Minor Hotels is positioning itself as a key player in the Middle East’s hospitality industry to tap into demand for luxury accommodation and personalised experiences – both of which the group is committed to crafting for its guests.