A record 47,431 rooms and 124 hotel projects are currently under development in Saudi Arabia, according to a new report.

The majority of projects are in the final construction and pre-opening stages with 52 projects and almost 20,000 rooms set to open to the public throughout the Kingdom this year.

Hotels with a 2016 opening date include: The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah (March); Kempinski Al Othman Hotel in Al Khobar (May); and Nobu Hotel Riyadh, the first Nobu hotel in the Kingdom, reported to open in June.

“This is going to be a record year for hotel openings in Saudi Arabia, with 19,867 rooms set to enter the market.

“Saudi is now the second largest hub for hotel construction in the Middle East and Africa, behind only the UAE,” said Christine Davidson, group event director of the dmg events hospitality portfolio, organisers of The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia.

“Saudi remains the leading tourist destination in the region and religious tourist figures are forecast to reach new heights with Government improvements to infrastructure, and developments to the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah.

“The opportunities for smart hoteliers and restaurateurs are significant.”

Hilton Worldwide has the largest hotel pipeline in Saudi Arabia with 28 properties set to be added to the market in the coming years, alongside the ten hotels currently trading in the Kingdom across its multi-brand portfolio.

Carlos Khneisser, vice president of development, Hilton Worldwide Middle East & North Africa said: “With 20 years of operations in KSA, ten hotels trading and more than 28 in the pipeline, Hilton Worldwide’s presence in Saudi Arabia continues to go from strength-to-strength.

“The agreement for our first Hampton by Hilton in KSA in 2015 highlights the success of our multi-brand development strategy – which is bolstered by a strong and diverse domestic and religious tourism market seeking outstanding hospitality across our portfolio of award-winning brands in the Kingdom.”

The report, by Top Hotel Projects, was commissioned by The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2016.