Wyndham Hotel Group on Wednesday signed a master franchise agreement with Saudi Automotive Services Company (SASCO) to develop 20 budget hotels in Saudi Arabia over the next five years.
The introduction of the Super 8 economy brand aims to meet the needs of the domestic tourism sector in the kingdom, estimated at 24 million people last year, the company said in a statement.
Super 8 has more hotels than any other economy lodging chain in the world, with over 2,200 properties throughout the US, Canada and China.
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The introduction of the brand into the Middle East comes just months after an announcement at the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin about the Super 8 brand's launch in Germany.
Special features specifically developed for guests in the Middle East and Africa include larger family rooms which include adjacent living space, the statement added.
"Super 8 is a convenient and trusted highway hotel brand, which makes it ideal for the long highways and the volume of car journeys in this market," said Bani Haddad, Wyndham Hotel Group's regional vice president for Middle East and Africa.
"With expertise in automotive and roadside services, SASCO is the ideal collaborator to bring the brand into this market, and we believe the relationship between Super 8 and SASCO will ultimately be of benefit to road travellers throughout the kingdom."
SASCO is the largest petrol station operator in Saudi Arabia. Sultan Alhudaithi, its managing director, said: "we believe aligning with Super 8 provides an excellent opportunity to bring something new to the market.
"Having launched our innovative new petrol station design two years ago, adding lodging for our customers in the form of the internationally renowned Super 8 brand is a natural step."
The Super 8 brand was established in 1974 in South Dakota and was acquired by Wyndham Hotel Group in 1993.
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