
First speakers announced for FHS Saudi Arabia
The 2025 edition of the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Saudi Arabia, which is set to take place at Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh from May 11-13, has confirmed the first speakers for the region's leading hospitality investment platform.
Organised by The Bench, FHS Saudi Arabia brings together hospitality leaders and decision-makers to discuss hotel performance and development, the outlook for hospitality investment in Saudi Arabia and the key market trends driving the sector, aiming for actionable outcomes that will transform the industry, which continues to witness unprecedented growth.
Confirmed speakers include leaders from some of the most dynamic hospitality brands, the real estate, asset management, investment and consulting community, international media, and government representatives.
Among the confirmed names are HH Prince Bandar bin Saud bin Khalid Al Saud, Secretary General, King Faisal Foundation (KFF) & Chairman of the Board of Directors, Al Khozama; Sultan Bader Al-Otaibi, Chief Executive Officer, Taiba Investments; Waleed AlRashed AlHumaid, Chief Executive Officer, Alrajhi Capital; Omar Romero, Chief Development and Luxury Officer, MINOR Hotels; Muin Serhan, Chief Executive Officer, AMSA Hospitality; Abdullah Azhari, CEO & Managing Director, Saudi Icon Company; Steven Greenway, Chief Executive Officer, Flyadeal; Ron Pohl, President of International Operations, BWH Hotel Group & President, WorldHotels; Gregory Lanter, Group Deputy CEO, Club Med; Michael Acton Smith, Co-Founder & CEO, CALM; Glenn Mandziuk, Chief Executive Officer, World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, and Jake Haupert, Chief Executive Officer, Transformational Travel Council.
'The agenda for FHS Saudi Arabia is shaping up very nicely and we are excited to welcome our first distinguished speakers for what is set to be a stellar line up of leaders representing the hospitality investment community in Saudi Arabia and around the world,' said Tanja Millner, Production Director at The Bench.
'Under our theme 'Where vision shapes opportunity,' this year's content tracks will include the future of hospitality in Saudi Arabia, building a sustainable tomorrow, hospitality investment, tomorrow's lifestyle which includes the future of tourism and destination development, pathways to holistic wellness, restaurant investment and F&B experiences. In addition, the Education Investment Forum that is co-located with FHS Saudi Arabia this year, will look human capital and education investment, including a focus on bridging the gap between education and industry needs.'
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