In an era where the Saudi hospitality sector is forging ahead in leaps and bounds, Sébastien Bazin, the dynamic CEO of Accor Group, shares his visionary roadmap for the Kingdom.
Under Bazin’s leadership, Accor is not just expanding—it’s transforming the landscape of Saudi Arabian tourism, pledging to double its footprint by 2027 through a series of strategic partnerships and groundbreaking projects. Our exclusive interview, undertaken during the recent WTTC Global Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, delves into how Accor’s innovative plans are set to unfold over the coming years.
Already in a previous interview, the Accor boss said, “The future of Saudi Arabia is extremely bright and Accor is accelerating expansion plans to meet the growing demand for modern, multi-faceted experiences – for guests, locals, homeowners, and our investment partners. As the largest hotel operator in the Kingdom, we are boldly redefining the way hospitality is delivered throughout Saudi Arabia – bringing together multiple brands, mixing hotels with residences, introducing new food and drink concepts, partnering with acclaimed restaurateurs, and taking hotel-level experiences to new heights. Most importantly, we are leading the industry toward positive hospitality – supporting communities and our environmental and social commitments, in full alignment with the goals of Vision 2030.“
In Rwanda, we asked Mr Bazin just how important Saudi Arabia is as part of his global roadmap…
It is critical. It is actually an example. I’ve been saying when I was in Saudi Arabia and I’ve been saying outside of the kingdom that I’ve never seen for the last ten years of my life as a chairman and CEO of Accor, a country where you have four or five things which are usually very rare to put together. There is leadership, there is a vision, there is the plan, there are human and financial resources to deploy, and there’s a calendar by which you need to deploy them. I’ve never seen that before. They have to be taken very seriously. And part of it, which is probably why I love it so much, is that there is also a population of 37-million with 70% under 35 years old. They want and need to work. They want to welcome the world, and they have all the elements. They have the sandy beaches, they have the AlUla heritage site, they have it all.
Of course, France is very much involved in AlUla as well, which not many people know.
France is very much involved there, since the early years… from the very beginning, as well as Accor now through Banyan Tree, and it’s just a blessing to be part of it. I’m actually and again, a lot of people know me – I just want to be an actor and not a spectator. And being an actor in Saudi Arabia, it’s tough, because they want they basically offer it to so many groups. But it’s an adventure in which we are privileged and so lucky to participate, and it’s going to work.
“You meet, you decide, you deploy…”
And with the Red Sea project and Neom, you have some massive projects there as well.…
All the projects are massive, and as I told you, it’s not only Mohammed bin Salman, but I guess whether it’s Jerry (eds: Inzirillo), whether it’s John (eds: Pagano), whether it’s Chris (eds: Newman), they have great leadership. They know exactly what they need to do, they know with which partner, and they have a timeline. For me, it’s one of those countries in which when you go there, you don’t lose any time. You meet, you decide, you deploy. I just need to make sure I can meet the expectations because those expectations are very high.
…
Read also: ACCOR: MAJOR EXPANSION
