Hilton to Add 35,000 Jobs in Middle East Push, Regional Head Says

Hilton plans to create about 35,000 new jobs across the Middle East as the travel giant launches an ambitious regional expansion that will double its portfolio with 130 new hotels and resorts.

The company's regional president, Guy Hutchinson, said Hilton properties in the Middle East doubled guest numbers in the first nine months of the year to about 2.2 million compared to pre-pandemic. To keep up with demand, the portfolio is "at least" doubling in size with 130 new hotels, and the operator expects to generate around 35,000 new jobs in the coming years.

"It is a golden age of hospitality for the region," Hutchinson said at Skift Global Forum East 2024 in Dubai on Wednesday. "We’re seeing this part of the world emerge as a thought and product leader. Across the region, you have these national tourism strategies underpinned by amazing infrastructure