At this year’s ILTM Cannes, one message from Red Sea Global Hospitality (RSGH) resonated more strongly than ever: the Saudi west coast is no longer a futuristic ambition—it is a functioning, ultra-luxury destination reshaping expectations across the global travel trade. Leading the charge is Sébastien Carré, Executive Director of RSGH, whose perspective combines decades of experience with a front-row seat to the Kingdom’s most ambitious tourism projects.
Speaking to SA-FE during the show, Carré shared candid insights into the accelerating rollout of hotels, the rising power of Saudi talent, and why the world’s best travel advisors increasingly view the Red Sea as the next global luxury hotspot.
Carré stresses that he does not speak for the destination as a whole, but the momentum around Phase One of The Red Sea project is undeniable. “Shura Island is going to activate starting this year,” he explains. “We already opened The Red Sea EDITION and the InterContinental, and there’s a whole list of hotels opening—Four Seasons, Rosewood, SLS, a number of others. Shura is coming to life and that’s basically the completion of Phase One of The Red Sea Project.”
Behind the scenes, dozens of global brands are preparing to activate their marketing engines simultaneously. “All these brands are going to start promoting the destination more actively,” he says. “It’s the classic destination-marketing architecture. Red Sea Global is a master developer—it builds the project and owns the hotels. Then it signs management agreements with global brands to operate them.”
Where RSG Hospitality fits in
RSG Hospitality is Red Sea Global’s “in-house” hotel operator, “a subsidiary headquartered in Jeddah,” as Carré describes it. It manages the ultra-luxury properties that Red Sea Global retains under its own brand and control, including Desert Rock, Shura Private Retreat, and the celebrated Shebara, with its iconic over-water villas.
“We compete against the other brands, even though we have the same owner,” he says with a smile. “And both Desert Rock and Shebara are iconic in every way. They’re helping to define an ambition for luxury tourism in the Kingdom.”
Both hotels are fully solar-powered—an achievement Carré says illustrates RSG’s unwavering commitment to regenerative tourism. “The marine environment is pristine, and these properties are drawing world attention,” he says. “Here at ILTM, the way these hotels are received is formidable.”
Carré’s most emphatic point is that it’s time for global media and trade to adjust their narrative. “These destinations have been promoted as projects for many years. They are no longer projects. They are real commercial operations with guests checking in and out every day,” he says. “And they’re taking a little bit of Saudi with them—connecting with Saudi people, who are the employees in our hotels, and experiencing something genuinely new.”
The shift is palpable. Compared to ILTM 2024, Carré says, “There’s a huge feeling of maturation.” Airline activations from Saudia, Qatar Airways and others reinforce the message: this destination is already entering the global luxury mainstream.
Saudi talent at the heart of the product
One of the strongest differentiators is the growing presence of Saudi talent in luxury hospitality roles. “You see Saudis in the service areas, reception, guest experience—but we have Saudi colleagues across all functions: marketing, HR, finance, reservations,” Carré says. “Culinary talent is coming up, too.”
He emphasises that this is not cosmetic—it is structural, strategic, and essential. “As a Saudi company, we take pride in attracting talent across every function. We have hundreds of graduates who joined us a few years ago and are developing within the business.”
Carré calls Saudi hospitality a natural competitive edge: “Saudi culture is uniquely equipped to welcome people from around the world. It has been doing so for thousands of years. Now it’s entering the big league—competing with the Maldives, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia.”
He recalls the same scepticism that once surrounded other now-iconic destinations. “Twenty years ago, people asked: why the Maldives? Every destination has its history. This one is incredibly ambitious, very well funded, and exceptionally high quality.”
Feedback from high-end travel advisors echoes that sentiment. “It’s unanimous—everyone sees the Saudi west coast becoming a major player. There is no question.”
One of the most significant market indicators has come from aviation. “When Qatar Airways and others dedicate aircraft to the destination, that tells you something,” Carré notes. “They don’t allocate aircraft without certainty. Even boutique operators like BeOnd are flying there. It sends the right signals.” He adds with a practical laugh: “From here in Cannes, you can drive to Milan and fly direct. That’s the easiest way.”
Building a luxury hotel operator from scratch
Carré describes his mandate within RSG Hospitality in ambitious but simple terms: “My mandate is to create the first luxury Saudi hotel operator.”
The company has already opened a new headquarters in Jeddah—housing marketing, HR, finance, reservations, and other shared functions. It operates much like an international hotel group, but one built from the ground up for Saudi Arabia’s tourism vision.
RSGH is also expanding into standalone restaurant operations. “We’ve developed strong competencies in high-quality restaurant management, and investors are asking us to replicate that in other cities,” Carré says. “It’s happening naturally.”
The team is also preparing a residential operations division: “We’re getting ready to run private residences and manage rental programmes on behalf of owners. Every major hotel company has done this. Now it’s our turn.”
Above all, he describes the most fulfilling part of the role: “It goes beyond running a business. Seeing young Saudis grow into the future of the Kingdom’s tourism is incredibly fulfilling.”
Carré also credits strong leadership—especially from Red Sea Global Group CEO and AlUla Development Managing Director John Pagano. “Any vision needs credibility. Otherwise, it remains a vision. Strong, inspired leadership keeps everyone focused on the objectives and delivery,” he notes. “It accelerates the development and construction phases, and now it must continue as we develop the first generation of Saudi leisure-hospitality operators.”
Pagano, he says, has been instrumental in keeping the organisation aligned with its long-term ambition, while also bringing global confidence to the Kingdom’s tourism trajectory.
A career built for this moment
Before joining Red Sea Global, Carré spent more than 20 years with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, including roles as General Manager, then Regional Vice President overseeing Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Middle East. “I was overseeing general managers across the region, with a corporate role in business development,” he says. “Essentially, I’m doing the same thing now—just on a far larger scale. Supporting John (eds: Pagano) in developing a hospitality business.”
The verdict from ILTM: Saudi is here to stay
Carré summarises the mood at the show: “The industry is galvanised. It’s no longer a project—it’s a reality. And the experiences guests are having speak louder than anything else.”
With properties activating across Shura Island, a new generation of Saudi hospitality talent rising through the ranks, and airlines betting on the destination’s future, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea is emerging—not as an alternative to the Maldives or the Caribbean, but as a new global player in its own right.
“This is only the beginning,” Carré says. “And that’s what makes it so exciting.”
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Photo top of page: Sebastien Carré at ILTM Cannes 2025 – Photo R BARNES – sa-fe.org
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Read also: Sebastien Carre: leading luxury hospitality at Red Sea Global
