Fairmont To Manage Makkah Hotel Overlooking Holy Mosque

-- Hotels, 4/30/2008 1:03:00 PM

TORONTO, April 30, 2008 - Fairmont Hotels & Resorts today announced a new hotel in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, scheduled to open this fall.  The hotel is the focal point of the iconic Abraj Al Bait Complex, which is part of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project whose mandate is to upgrade the precincts of the Two Holy Mosques.  The complex includes seven towers with a total floor space equal to 15.6 million square feet and adjacent to the Masjid al Haram, the holiest site in Islam.  The property joins Fairmont’s worldwide collection of iconic luxury hotels, and is the seventh addition to the company’s Middle East and Africa portfolio. 

The Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel will be among the world’s tallest towers with 76 stories reaching 577 meters high.   Its unique and distinctive features will ensure a landmark presence, including a 40-meter clock, visible from 17 kilometers away and more than five times larger than Big Ben in London.  The Makkah Clock will announce daily prayers to the Muslim world and the Lunar Observation Center and Islamic Museum will serve to protect the heritage for future generations.

Housing 1,005 guestrooms and suites, the hotel will feature Fairmont Gold, the company’s exclusive “hotel within a hotel”, and numerous dining outlets.  Elegantly designed and offering unparalleled service, the property will welcome pilgrims and guests with a variety of leisure and business facilities, including unrivalled conference and banquet facilities that will accommodate over 1,500 attendees.  The hotel’s 76 elevators will provide comfortable transfers during high occupancy periods and calls to prayer.

The project is being developed by Saudi Binladin Company (“SBC”), one of the largest development and construction firms in the Arab world.  SBC has directed projects in the Holy City including the Abraj Al Bait Makkah project and has been responsible for overseeing the expansion of the Holy Mosques in Makkah and Al Madina, as well as recent safety modifications to Al Jamaraat (the Hajj pilgrimage route).

“We are proud to continue being involved in the development of the Holy Sites for the welfare of the pilgrims and visitors from all over the Islamic world,” commented SBC’s Chairman. ‘’We are very pleased that Fairmont will manage this remarkable hotel given the brand’s century of experience in operating large, complex properties around the world.”

Fairmont’s parent company, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, is majority owned by Kingdom Holding Company.  Kingdom, chaired by HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, is one of the world’s most successful and diversified business organizations, highly respected in the field of investments and recognized as an elite player internationally and in the Arabian Gulf region.“We are honored to have been entrusted with the management of this extraordinary hotel project, which is the culmination of our long-term partnership with Kingdom and its relationship with SBC,” said William Fatt, CEO of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International.  “We are delighted to be working with SBC, renowned for their extensive efforts in transforming and developing the region.”

Additional Fairmont locations in the Middle East and Africa include The Fairmont Dubai, Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis, Fairmont Heliopolis, Fairmont Zanzibar, Fairmont Mara Safari Club and Fairmont Norfolk, Nairobi.  Future developments include Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club (2008), Fairmont Nile City, Cairo (2008); Fairmont Palm Island, Dubai (2009); Fairmont Zimbali, South Africa (2010); a Fairmont hotel at the Marina City Development in Abu Dhabi (2011) and Fairmont Kingdom of Sheba, Dubai (2011).

About Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
A leader in the global hospitality industry, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is an extraordinary collection of luxury hotels which includes iconic landmarks like The Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Monte Carlo and New York's The Plaza. Fairmont hotels are one-of-a-kind properties where sophisticated travelers can discover culturally rich experiences that are authentic to the destination. Situated in some of the most exclusive and pristine areas in the world, Fairmont is committed to responsible tourism and is an industry leader in sustainable hotel management with its award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont's portfolio includes 55 distinctive hotels, with plans to develop over 20 new properties in the coming years in destinations as diverse as Beijing, Abu Dhabi and South Africa.

Fairmont Raffles Hotels International is a leading global hotel company with 88 hotels worldwide under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands.  The Company also owns Fairmont and Raffles branded Residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties.  For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com.