Ron Pohl, President of International Operations for BWH Hotels and President of WorldHotels, headlined the TenX Leadership Talk with moderator and former BBC journalist Jessy El Murr. During the discussion Pohl shared insights on the critical role mid-scale and upscale hotels play in diversifying travel across the region, the importance of flexible brand architecture and industry trends surrounding technology and sustainability.

“The Middle East, and Saudi Arabia in particular, is a high-priority growth region for BWH Hotels. With Vision 2030 driving transformational investments in tourism, we see a significant opportunity to align with the Kingdom’s goals,” said Pohl. “With 19 hotels in the Middle East and 22 currently in the pipeline, we are embedding ourselves in the region’s bright future.”

Expansion Announcements

As BWH Hotels moves closer to its goal of reaching 70 properties in the Middle East by 2027, it marked a significant milestone at FHS by signing eight new additions:

• WorldHotels King Road, Jeddah
• Executive Residency by Best Western®, The Breeze Hotel, Al Khobar
• Best Western Premier®, Riyadh
• Best Western Premier Madinah Hotel, Madinah
• Best Western Centria Hotel, Riyadh
• SureStay Plus® by Best Western Madinah Hotel, Madinah
• SureStay Studio® by Best Western Acacia Hotel, Jeddah
• SureStay Studio by Best Western Sweet Home Hotel, Jeddah

These landmark hotels join the fast-growing BWH Hotels portfolio in the region, which also includes the luxurious WorldHotels Crafted Sunflower Resort, AlUla; the contemporary Aiden® Shades Hotel, Jeddah; the Best Western Plus Hotel, Makkah (opening Summer 2025); and the Executive Residency Al by Best Western Shafa Hotel, Jeddah (opening Spring 2025).