ACCOR’S HOLY CITIES PORTFOLIO 15 Operational hotels 15,400+ Rooms 10 Brands 11 Hotels in Makkah 4 Hotels in Madinah 8,000+ Rooms in the pipeline 10+ Countries covered by international sales representatives 4,000+ Keys covered by the Al Qimmah Hospitality agreement Key operational brands: Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel, Swissôtel, Pullman, Mövenpick, Novotel, Mercure and ibis Styles. PIPELINE SNAPSHOT Q4 2026 Sofitel Jabal Omar Makkah: 1,143 rooms Q3 2027 ibis Styles Mesfalah: 801 rooms Mercure Makkah Shisha: 1,078 rooms Q1 2029 Novotel Madinah North: 200 rooms Mövenpick Madinah Sultana: 1,150 rooms Novotel Rua Madinah: 328 rooms Swissôtel Rua Madinah: 428 rooms 2030 New Novotel Makkah under the Al Qimmah agreement: 850 rooms
Dubai is on track to be- coming the most-visited city globally Destination in Makkah and Rua Al Madinah are supporting this evolution, adding accommodation capacity while improving access, transport integration and services. 8,000-PLUS ROOMS AHEAD Accor’s response includes a substantial development pipeline of more than 8,000 rooms across Makkah and Madinah. Of the major hotel projects planned for Makkah, one is set to open in Q4 this year (2026), with the Sofitel Jabal Omar Makkah bringing 1,143 new rooms to market. Further projects span ibis Styles, Mercure, Novotel, Mövenpick, Sofitel, Swissôtel and MGallery, giving the group additional capacity across several price points and traveller segments. Madinah will account for a significant share of later growth, including Novotel Rua Madinah and Swissôtel Rua Madinah within the Rua Al Madinah development. This mix is important as demand becomes more varied, from high-volume pilgrimage groups to longer-stay families, premium guests and experienced repeat visitors. PARTNERSHIPS SUPPORT GROWTH Partnerships are central to the expansion programme. Accor’s master development agreement with Al Qimmah Hospitality, a subsidiary of BinDawood Investment Company, covers more than 4,000 keys across Saudi Arabia. Within the Holy Cities, this includes Mövenpick Madinah, renovations of ibis Styles Makkah Mesfalah and Mercure Makkah Shesha, and a newly signed 850-key Novotel in Makkah expected to open in 2030. The agreement spans premium, midscale and economy hotels and gives Accor further scope to expand with a local partner as Saudi Arabia increases tourism and pilgrimage capacity. Its partnership strategy also extends into distribution and transport. Expedia, airline agreements and a Saudi railway partnership form part of efforts to improve access to Accor’s Holy Cities inventory and connect accommodation more closely with other stages of the pilgrimage journey. ONE GATEWAY TO TWO CITIES Technology is becoming increasingly important to that approach. Launched in Q4 2025, the ALL Makkah Madinah Portal brings Accor’s hotel portfolio across both cities into one dedicated platform. Travellers and trade partners can access hotel information, availability and booking alongside practical destination information and guidance relevant to pilgrimage travel. Since launch, Accor has expanded the content available across the journey, from initial research and planning through to booking and the experience on arrival. For travel agencies, tour operators and pilgrimage specialists, the portal creates a single gateway to brands and inventory across both destinations, making it easier to identify hotels suited to different traveller profiles and requirements. The next phase centres on connectivity, with Accor working to strengthen digital integration with airlines and transportation providers and link more elements of the
journey around the hotel stay. “The ALL Makkah Madinah Portal reflects how we’re using technology to simplify the pilgrimage journey, making it easier for travellers to discover, book and experience both Holy Cities through one connected platform,” Accor says. CLOSER TO THE MARKETS Accor is also strengthening links with the countries generating that demand. Its International Sales Representative (ISR) network covers more than 10 countries across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Türkiye, Central Asia, Europe and Africa, maintaining direct relationships with travel agencies, tour operators, pilgrimage specialists and key accounts. The network gives partners a local Accor contact while providing the group with market intelligence on booking patterns, traveller expectations, competitor activity and future demand. This becomes increasingly valuable as source markets diversify. GCC markets continue to generate frequency, while Africa, Central Asia and Southeast Asia are adding volume. Accor is also seeing more family travel and longer stays, particularly in Madinah. FROM PEAK DEMAND TO YEAR-ROUND GROWTH The longer-term opportunity is closely linked to Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambitions. The kingdom welcomed 123 million visitors in 2025 and is targeting 150 million annually, including 30 million Umrah pilgrims a year by 2030. More than 220,000 additional hotel rooms are expected across the Holy Cities, while infrastructure investment, stronger aviation connectivity, transport improvements and more flexible visa frameworks are widening access and supporting longer and multi-destination trips. For the hotel sector, one of the biggest changes towards 2030 will be the progression from managing major pilgrimage peaks towards operating at scale across a more connected, year-round market. Ramadan and Hajj will continue to generate exceptional periods of demand, while the growth of Umrah throughout the year should support a more balanced operating environment. The volume of new hotel supply also raises the competitive stakes. Rising demand alone will not guarantee performance. Product, location, distribution, accessibility, operational consistency and the guest experience will become increasingly important. This is where Accor sees an advantage in the breadth of its portfolio and pipeline. Its plans now extend into mixed-use developments, branded residences, F&B, digital connectivity and local partnerships alongside conventional hotels. By 2030, the focus is on serving significantly greater pilgrimage volumes with more choice, stronger connections and consistent delivery across Makkah and Madinah. Accor’s existing scale, pipeline, international reach and partnerships give it a substantial platform from which to pursue that longer-term ambition.
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