Saudi Arabia's Secondary Cities Are the Next Big Opportunity | FHS Saudi Arabia | Jalil Mekouar
Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.
Creator's Key Takeaways
Our trademark and what we do the best is to provide a real Saudi genuine Saudi experience in our in our properties and we are very proud of doing so.
There is a clear focus now more focus on secondary cities and we definitely plan to contribute to that development either through our own brands or through also international brands.
Today more than 45% close to 50% of our employees are Saudis.
Questions This Creator Answers
Port Highlights
Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.
About our Bacon Score methodologyYouTube Video Description↓
Welcome to an exclusive interview with Mr. Jalil Mekwar, CEO of Elaf Hotels — a remarkable 40 year old proudly Saudi hospitality brand that began in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina — to discover how this authentic local chain is expanding into Saudi Arabia's exciting secondary cities and mega Giga projects while maintaining an impressive 45 to 50 percent Saudi national workforce delivering genuine local hospitality experiences! 🎯 What's covered in this video: ✅ How Elaf Hotels — operating for an incredible 40 years — began as a proudly Saudi brand in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina ✅ Why their second brand Joudian focuses specifically on properties outside Mecca and Medina including Riyadh and Jeddah ✅ How Elaf's trademark genuine Saudi hospitality experience distinguishes them from international hotel chains ✅ Why secondary cities in Saudi Arabia are now seeing increased development focus — representing significant untapped potential ✅ How Elaf plans to contribute to secondary city growth through both own brands and international franchise partnerships ✅ Why Giga project partnerships with government and semi-government organizations represent exciting future opportunities ✅ How Elaf is targeting upper upscale, upscale and mid-scale segments across multiple development strategies ✅ Why 45 to 50 percent of Elaf's employees are Saudi nationals — demonstrating powerful commitment to local talent development ✅ How this proudly Saudi management company prioritizes developing authentic local hospitality talent ✅ Why Elaf's positioning as genuinely Saudi gives them a unique competitive advantage in the rapidly growing Kingdom hospitality market 🔍 Whether you're a hotel investor, religious tourism enthusiast, Saudi Arabia hospitality professional, secondary city developer or planning your pilgrimage trip, this video is packed with insights on Elaf Hotels Mecca Medina, genuine Saudi hospitality, secondary cities development, Giga project hotels and the exciting future of authentic Saudi hospitality brands in 2026! 📍 Filmed at Saudi Arabia Hospitality Summit 2026 🔔 Subscribe for more Elaf Hotels updates, Saudi Arabia hospitality insights and Mecca Medina travel guides! About Travel And Tour World: Travel And Tour World is a global travel media platform covering travel, tourism, hospitality, aviation, MICE, cruise, and luxury travel, with readership across 195 countries. [Elaf Hotels Mecca Medina 2026, genuine Saudi hospitality, secondary cities Saudi Arabia, Giga project hotels, Joudian Hotels Saudi Arabia, hotels Mecca Medina, proudly Saudi hotel chain, Saudi hospitality talent development, hotel development Saudi 2026, authentic Saudi hospitality, Saudi Arabia hotel pipeline, upscale hotels Saudi Arabia, government hotel partnership Saudi, mega project hotels Saudi Arabia, Mecca pilgrimage hotels, Saudization hospitality jobs, hotels Riyadh Jeddah Saudi, mid-scale hotel Saudi development] #elafhotelsmeccamedina2026 #genuinesaudihospitality #secondarycitiessaudiarabia #gigaprojecthotels #joudianhotelssaudiarabia