Saudi Culture Amalgamation with Modern Lifestyle is Rarest Option

Written By: Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar is a Senior Journalist at Travel and Tour World with more than 10 years of experience in travel and tourism journalism. A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Jadavpur University, he combines strong research, industry knowledge and storytelling expertise to produce engaging, insightful and impactful travel news and fascinating feature stories.

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September 13, 2026 03:56 GMT+5:30

AMSA Hospitality is positioning Saudi culture, workforce development and environmental responsibility at the centre of its hospitality strategy as the Kingdom continues its transformation into a major global tourism destination.

Speaking exclusively to TTW at WTM Riyadh 2026, Bassem Yakout, General Manager of Palm Qassim Hotel, part of AMSA Hospitality Saudi Arabia, outlined how the company is seeking to combine modern hotel operations with Saudi traditions while investing in local talent and more sustainable practices.

Yakout said the buyer meetings at WTM Riyadh were providing AMSA Hospitality with an opportunity to strengthen relationships across the tourism industry and promote its properties to travel agencies and other booking-related distribution channels.

According to Yakout, these industry connections could help generate future business opportunities for the group’s properties as Saudi Arabia’s tourism ecosystem continues to expand.

Bringing Saudi culture into modern hospitality

One of the key themes of the interview was the challenge — and opportunity — of incorporating traditional Arabian hospitality into technology-driven, contemporary hotel operations.

Yakout explained that AMSA Hospitality is focusing on operating its hotels in accordance with Saudi Arabia’s traditions and cultural requirements.

Palm Qassim Hotel provides a particular example of this approach. The property in Qassim operates under Accor’s Handwritten Collection, a hospitality brand built around distinctive, individually characterised hotels.

Yakout highlighted the importance of incorporating the culture of Qassim into the hotel’s guest experience.

Qassim is particularly associated with dates and date cultivation, and the hotel has sought to reflect that local identity through elements including its outlets and naming concepts.

The strategy reflects a wider direction emerging across Saudi tourism: rather than presenting a standardised international hotel experience, properties are increasingly looking for ways to connect contemporary hospitality with the character and heritage of their destinations.

For AMSA Hospitality, Yakout said, the objective is to bring the modern and traditional elements together.

Developing Saudi hospitality talent

Workforce development is another major component of AMSA Hospitality’s long-term strategy.

Yakout pointed to the company’s academy as an important mechanism for developing employees, particularly Saudi nationals with the potential to progress into senior hospitality positions.

The training and development programme is intended to prepare employees for a broad range of future leadership responsibilities, including hotel management, sales, revenue management, culinary operations and general management.

This approach is significant as Saudi Arabia seeks to increase the participation of its citizens in the private-sector tourism and hospitality workforce.

Rather than focusing solely on immediate recruitment, AMSA Hospitality is looking at developing an internal talent pipeline capable of supplying future managers and senior executives.

Yakout described this as a long-term development plan, indicating that the company sees localisation as an ongoing investment rather than a short-term staffing exercise.

Sustainability becomes a core priority

Environmental responsibility also featured prominently in Yakout’s description of AMSA Hospitality’s priorities.

He said the group is concentrating on sustainability requirements and implementing measures across its operations that can reduce environmental impact.

One example discussed during the interview was the use of more environmentally friendly hotel amenities.

Yakout said the company is looking at replacing or using amenities and operational materials where more sustainable alternatives are available, with the objective of supporting the environment while maintaining the guest experience.

The approach forms part of what he described as AMSA Hospitality’s broader vision for becoming more environmentally responsible.

For hotels operating in a rapidly developing tourism market, sustainability is becoming increasingly important. Saudi Arabia’s tourism expansion under Vision 2030 is creating demand for new accommodation, attractions and tourism infrastructure, while sustainability is increasingly being incorporated into the development of the country’s tourism sector.

Qassim offers a distinct hospitality proposition

The focus on Qassim also illustrates how Saudi Arabia’s tourism strategy extends beyond the country’s best-known destinations.

While Riyadh, Jeddah, AlUla and the Red Sea developments have attracted considerable international attention, destinations such as Qassim offer a different proposition based on regional culture, food, agriculture and heritage.

For hotels such as Palm Qassim, incorporating those characteristics into the guest experience can help distinguish the property from conventional business and leisure accommodation.

Yakout’s comments suggest that AMSA Hospitality sees this combination of local identity and contemporary hotel standards as an important part of its approach.

WTM Riyadh provides international business platform

The interview also underlined the importance of WTM Riyadh as a meeting point between Saudi hospitality companies and the international travel trade.

For AMSA Hospitality, the event provides an opportunity to introduce its properties to travel agencies, tourism professionals and other distribution partners while building relationships that could translate into future bookings and business.

As Saudi Arabia continues to expand its tourism economy, hotels are competing not only on rooms and facilities but also on destination identity, service, talent and sustainability.

AMSA Hospitality’s strategy, as outlined by Yakout, brings these priorities together: develop Saudi talent, incorporate local culture, strengthen international travel-trade relationships and improve environmental performance.

The result is a hospitality model designed to support Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambitions while retaining a strong connection to the destinations in which its hotels operate.

The bigger picture

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 tourism agenda has accelerated investment in destinations, infrastructure and hospitality capacity, creating opportunities for both international hotel brands and locally rooted hospitality companies.

AMSA Hospitality’s emphasis on localisation and cultural integration reflects the broader evolution of the Saudi hospitality market. The next phase of growth will not simply be about adding hotel rooms. It will also depend on developing skilled Saudi professionals, creating distinctive destination-led experiences and ensuring that tourism growth is compatible with environmental priorities.

At Palm Qassim Hotel, that philosophy is being expressed through a combination of contemporary hospitality, Qassim’s cultural identity and an increasing focus on sustainability.

For AMSA Hospitality, Yakout’s message at WTM Riyadh was clear: the future of Saudi hospitality will require both modern standards and a distinctly Saudi sense of place.