Hilton plans 9,000 new staff with six Saudi hotels

Hilton announces plans to open six hotels in Makkah as part of the Jabal Omar development.

This aerial image made from a helicopter taken on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010, shows Muslim pilgrims moving around the Kaaba, the black cube seen at center, inside the Grand Mosque, during the annual Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The skyscrapers, sporting towering glass facades and luxury shopping malls with international brands, have sprouted up in recent years around the esplanade in front of the sprawling, multi-level Haram Mosque. The mosque surrounds the Kaaba, the cube-shaped shrine that Muslims around the world face during prayers and pilgrims circle seven times during the hajj rites. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) *** Local Caption ***  HAS115_Saudi-Hajj.jpg
Powered by automated translation

Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement to manage six new hotels as part of a multibillion dollar development in Makkah in Saudi Arabia, the management company announced on Wednesday.

More Business news: Editor's pick of today's headlines

Last Updated: May 18, 2011

Abu Dhabi reconsiders using PPP to finance Mafraq-Al Ghweifat highway Abu Dhabi may scrap plans for a public-private partnership to build the Dh10 billion Mafraq road. Read article

Developer Nakheel prepares to issue Dh5bn worth of Islamic bonds Banks are setting up custodial services for Islamic bonds Nakheel is using to pay dues to contractors as a deal on the property giant's restructuring inches closer. Read article

Spectacular fall from grace for Dominique Strauss-Kahn Industry Insights // Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the IMF leader, should have been attending a meeting of finance ministers in Brussels this week. Instead, he languishes in New York's notorious Rikers Island prison accused of attempting to rape a hotel chambermaid. Read article

Upmarket nurseries to roll out across the Emirates Kidville, a high-end kids' nursery, is expanding across the Emirates to meet growing demand. Read article

Housing soothes bite of inflation The weakening housing market has offset a sharp increase in the cost of the average shopping basket, lowering inflation. Read article

The hotels are part of the long-delayed Jabal Omar development, which is located overlooking the Grand Mosque and is designed to accommodate the growing numbers of pilgrims travelling to The Kingdom.

Hilton plans to take on 9,000 new staff over the next three to four years as it expands in the country.

"We've got a huge task ahead of us to recruit the number of people required for our upcoming hotels in the Kingdom," said Rudi Jagersbacher, Hilton Worldwide's area president, Middle East and Africa.

To meet legal requirements in the country, Hilton said "a significant number of these team members will be Saudi nationals".

To achieve this, Hilton has partnered with the Prince Sultan College for Tourism and Business to develop its own hospitality curriculum and qualification.

These latest signings mean the operator is to triple its presence in Saudi Arabia. Hilton already has six properties open in the Gulf country and the latest announcement brings the number of hotels it has planned to a total of 12.

The six hotels in Makkah are scheduled to open in 2014 under a range of the company's brands including Conrad, Hilton, and DoubleTree.

Marriott and Hyatt also plan to manage three hotels each as part of the development, the companies announced.