20 Abdullah S. Al Jehani; Dr Salah AL-Bhukayyet

In joint 20th place are two key figures from the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), responsible for the well-targeted marketing and investment that has led to a thriving hospitality industry in the Kingdom.

Under the watchful eyes of VP marketing and media Abdullah S. Al Jehani and VP for investment Dr Salah Al-Bhukayyet, Saudi Arabia’s hotel sector has continued to grow and diversify.

Al-Bhukayyet is considered a pioneer in the Saudi Tourism industry, having monitored the criteria for classifying and licensing hotels. He is also overseeing tourism funding, visa regulations, licensing timeshare units, tour guides and operators and other major tourism projects, including Al Uqair and Souk Okaz.

Reporting directly to president and board chairman HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, both Al-Bhukayyet and Al Jehani are instrumental in ensuring the country achieves its ambitious goals.

Visitor numbers are targeted to nearly double from 47 million in 2008 to 88 million by 2020. The number of hotel rooms will rise from 117,097 to 254,310, apartment units will increase from 101,544 to 185,853 and industry employment is set to grow from 1.1 million to 1.5 million, according to the SCTA 2020 vision.