Shangri-La Brand Debuts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the first-ever Founding Day Celebrations

Shangri-La made its brand debut in Saudi Arabia on 22nd February – the Kingdom’s inaugural Founding Day – with 220 new light-filled accommodations, three exceptional restaurants, extensive wellness facilities, a dedicated kids’ club and versatile event space including the Shangri-La Grand Ballroom offering sweeping ocean views.

The opening of Shangri-La Jeddah marks the dawn of a new era for Saudi Arabia as a leisure destination, welcoming discerning travellers in a location blessed by endless views of the Red Sea and set to become one of the city’s most vibrant lifestyle and dining destinations. 

To commemorate the occasion, the ribbon was ceremoniously cut by H.E Saleh Al Turki, Mayor of Jeddah, Mohammed Alissa, Owner of Assila Investments, Kapil Aggarwal, Co-Head: Middle East, Europe, India & Americas at Shangri-La Group and attended by General Manager Alexander Blair and select VIPs.  

Caption: H.E Saleh Al Turki, Mayor of Jeddah and Mohammed Alissa, Owner of Assila Investments, ceremoniously cutting the ribbon to mark the opening of the landmark Shangri-La Jeddah.

In support of the historic day, His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, sent a congratulatory video. “Today we celebrate three centuries of glory, progression and unity. Through our ambitious goals, the tourism sector is set to become one of the key pillars supporting the Saudi Vision 2030 and contributing to the economic transformation of our Kingdom, representing an investment of $810 billion and providing 1 million job opportunities,” said His Excellency. “As referenced in the book The Lost Horizon, Shangri-La means a perfect place. With that in mind, I am hopeful that the Shangri-La Jeddah’s offerings will bring that to life.”

“This inaugural Founding Day inspires us to admire the depth and quality of our traditions,” quoted Mr. Abdullah Alissa, Chairman of Assila Investments. “The Shangri-La Jeddah will blend Saudi Arabia’s rich heritage and vibrant culture, with the distinctive heartfelt hospitality that is part of Shangri-La’s Asian roots. Today, we celebrate our partnership with Shangri-La together with our esteemed guests and partners and join with the rest of the Kingdom for a nationwide celebration.” Mr. Abdullah Alissa added, “As a company, we place great emphasis on bringing both economic opportunities as well as creating lasting value for the larger community in the cities we operate in and are fully committed to supporting Saudi’s Vision 2030.”  

“Shangri-La has been known for its heartfelt hospitality for over 50 years and we are excited to debut the Shangri-La Jeddah, together with our partners Assila Investments, on such a significant day and support the economic growth and tourism of the city, “added Kapil Aggarwal. “Jeddah is a key destination within Saudi Arabia and Middle East, and we look forward to promoting Jeddah among our expansive network of hotels, guests and partners across Middle East, China, Southeast Asia and the globe”.

Caption: Shangri-La Jeddah opened its doors on 22nd February – the Kingdom’s inaugural Founding Day.

In full support of the Vision 2030, Saudi nationals proudly represent approximately half of the hotel colleagues. To further complement the effort, the Shangri-La Sailors training programme launched by the hotel during its pre-opening phase, saw a team of Saudi colleagues undergo an elaborate 3-month immersion in hand-picked flagship properties abroad.

Situated in the exclusive Burj Assila, a 64-storey architectural icon and Jeddah’s tallest building – a soaring 260 metres high tower – the hotel forms part of the two-billion Saudi Riyal, 60,015 square meter mixed-use development project which is also home to 116 state-of-the-art Burj Assila Residences available for sale.