In celebration of Worldwide Girls’s Day this month, we shine a highlight on feminine leaders within the hospitality business in Saudi Arabia. With Imaginative and prescient 2030 as a driving pressure, the Kingdom has unlocked unprecedented alternatives for girls to guide, innovate, and form the way forward for tourism and hospitality. But, actual progress means going past symbolic gestures – it is about creating lasting pathways for development, mentorship, and management. We spoke with feminine hospitality professionals in Saudi Arabia about breaking obstacles and driving change within the business, and their recommendation for the following era of feminine leaders.
How has the feminine management panorama in Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector developed, and what main challenges stay?
Dr Maryam Ficociello, Chief Governance Officer, Pink Sea World: “Imaginative and prescient 2030 is reworking Saudi Arabia’s society. The feminine workforce reached 35.4% in 2024, surpassing preliminary targets. At Pink Sea World, some departments boast 44% feminine illustration, and my very own journey to changing into Chief Governance Officer demonstrates the management alternatives now out there for girls. Progress has been important, however there may be extra to do. That’s why we’re investing in initiatives equivalent to our Feminine Management Program, vocational coaching and schemes for elite graduates to offer extra Saudi ladies with rewarding profession pathways.”
Mashael Alnosayan, Advertising and marketing & Communication, Taiba Investments: “Imaginative and prescient 2030 has pushed a outstanding surge in feminine management inside Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector. Girls are more and more empowered, taking over distinguished roles and demonstrating immense potential. The sector champions equal alternatives and inclusivity, making certain ladies thrive. A rising expertise pipeline signifies a brilliant future for feminine leaders. Whereas illustration evolves, rising function fashions and targeted improvement initiatives are essential, solidifying ladies’s important function in shaping the sector’s future.”
With the Kingdom’s Imaginative and prescient 2030 emphasizing gender inclusivity, what new alternatives are rising for girls in hospitality management?
Dr Maryam Ficociello, Chief Governance Officer, Pink Sea World: “Imaginative and prescient 2030’s dedication to feminine empowerment permits younger Saudi ladies to take part in a quickly rising hospitality sector, which is producing new, thrilling alternatives. At RSG, these vary from roles dominated by males globally, equivalent to safety and hearth and rescue groups, to hospitality managers and senior leaders. It has by no means been such an thrilling time to be a lady in Saudi Arabia, and it’s so rewarding to see junior colleagues rise by the ranks and ship influence.”
How can the hospitality business additional speed up range and create extra management alternatives for girls?
Dr. Sarah Gasim, Senior Vice President, Head of Lodges KSA, JLL: “The development of girls in Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector extends past breaking obstacles; it’s about establishing pathways for future generations to thrive. Significant progress is achieved when companies transcend merely opening doorways for girls, fostering an surroundings the place they’ll excel and lead with influence.”
Mashael Alnosayan, Advertising and marketing & Communication, Taiba Investments: “Amongst Saudi Arabia’s varied sectors, hospitality is especially noteworthy for its speedy development of girls’s roles. The Saudi authorities has prioritised ladies’s empowerment, resulting in sooner development in alternatives. Girls in Saudi Arabia have confirmed to be robust leaders, particularly in hospitality, with continued help, mentorship, and a dedication to range. It is a key a part of the Kingdom’s imaginative and prescient for a extra inclusive financial system. The sector is quickly progressing in the direction of ladies main in any respect ranges, with alternatives for them to excel of their careers and obtain their full potential.”
Dr Maryam Ficociello, Chief Governance Officer, Pink Sea World: “The sector should champion inclusivity in any respect ranges, and this precept runs by our total folks technique.
We use gender-neutral job adverts and numerous recruitment shortlists to spice up feminine illustration. We’re additionally dedicated to equal pay and profession development by improvement, mentoring and management applications. By recognizing the important worth ladies provide, we are able to encourage change and construct a society wealthy with alternative.”
Inspiring the Subsequent Technology – What recommendation do you could have for younger ladies aspiring to management roles in hospitality?
Dr. Abeer Alamri, Expertise Growth and Expertise Optimization Professional: “Develop your expertise, search mentors, and construct a powerful community. Embrace challenges as studying alternatives and do not be afraid to voice your concepts. Confidence and resilience are key. Keep passionate, adaptable, and all the time try for excellence. Your distinctive perspective is invaluable to the way forward for hospitality.”
Lama Kamakhi, Colleague Engagement Supervisor, Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah: “Connecting with mentors and business professionals is important for girls aspiring management within the hospitality business, providing important steerage and networking probabilities. To stay aggressive, persistently enhance your expertise by academic programs and sensible experiences. Develop your management capabilities, specializing in efficient communication, decision-making, and empathy. Encourage inclusivity by appreciating numerous views inside your workforce, which might drive innovation. Lastly, trust in your talents by being assertive and proactive when sharing concepts, whereas remaining true to your values and main by instance.”
Mashael Alnosayan, Advertising and marketing & Communication, Taiba Investments: “To each younger girl aspiring to management in hospitality: begin by embracing each problem as an opportunity for development, and each alternative as a pathway to success. Imaginative and prescient 2030 is reworking Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector, driving speedy innovation and development by AI-powered administration, sustainability initiatives, and superior expertise integration. The business is evolving with cutting-edge developments, creating thrilling alternatives for future leaders. Equip and construct your self with expertise and information, have fun wins, and discover mentors. Management is an artwork; study and form the longer term.”
Dr Maryam Ficociello, Chief Governance Officer, Pink Sea World: “An important a part of my development journey has been mentoring. I’d encourage any younger girl to hunt out mentors—folks they discover inspiring or who they’ve realized from previously—and meet with them repeatedly. Mentors generally is a good sounding board for concepts and may present invaluable recommendation on issues. At RSG, we’ve a spread of initiatives designed to offer feminine Saudi expertise the chance to talk to extra skilled colleagues and facilitate knowledge-sharing.”
Reflecting on her private management journey, Dr Maryam Ficociello stated: “A pivotal second in my profession was becoming a member of Pink Sea World in 2017. It was a privilege to be given the accountability to construct the governance, danger and compliance division for one of many world’s most formidable builders. Working for a corporation that genuinely cares about feminine empowerment and making a optimistic distinction to folks and the planet has been significantly rewarding. The function has strengthened my perception that management is about creating alternatives for others and driving optimistic change.”
As a part of its dedication and deal with ladies in hospitality, the bench, organisers of Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia, might be providing particular fee passes to FHS Saudi Arabia 2025 for Saudi nationwide ladies working in hospitality. The #FHSWomenPower marketing campaign is an initiative to champion gender range and ladies empowerment within the business in step with Saudi Imaginative and prescient 2030 and the area’s social and financial aspirations. All senior feminine professionals in hospitality are invited to affix FHS on the journey in the direction of an inclusive and progressive hospitality panorama.
Tanja Millner, Manufacturing Director on the bench: «Worldwide Girls’s Day in hospitality ought to be about motion, not simply consciousness. True inclusivity means making certain ladies have actual entry to information, mentorship, and management pathways to embrace alternatives. We should transfer past token gestures to actively help profession development, equal pay, and recognition primarily based on benefit. A extra inclusive business advantages everybody—after we uplift ladies with tangible alternatives, we promote innovation, excellence, and a stronger future for hospitality.”
FHS Saudi Arabia is at Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh, 11-13 Might 2025, with the overarching theme of “The place Imaginative and prescient Shapes Alternative”. Greater than 1,400 delegates are anticipated to attend. For full particulars and to register, go to https://www.futurehospitality.com/sa
About The Bench
The Bench has constructed a legacy as a world curator of alternative, designing transformative boards and summits that empower the hospitality and journey industries to attach, innovate, and thrive. With over 20 years of experience, The Bench creates platforms that transcend transactions to encourage collaboration and drive significant change.
Every occasion brings collectively authorities leaders, tourism ministries, world journey associations, main hospitality manufacturers, resort homeowners and buyers, airways, vacation spot builders, and extra. From flagship gatherings like FHS World (previously AHIC) and FHS Saudi Arabia, to FHS Africa (previously AHIF) and AviaDev, The Bench creates occasions the place concepts spark, relationships deepen, and investments take flight.
The Bench thrives on fostering dynamic and forward-looking dialogues, uniting business pioneers to deal with challenges, seize alternatives, and co-create the longer term. Every occasion is crafted to ship extra than simply connections – it is about reworking concepts into motion and constructing a greater tomorrow.
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About FHS Saudi Arabia
Dates: 11-13 Might 2025
Location: Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Sponsors: Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh and Al Khozama Funding as Host Sponsors; Ministry of Tourism as Strategic Enabler; Taiba Investments as Founding Companion; Al Rajhi Financial institution, Amsa Hospitality, Elaf Group, NEOM, Pink Sea World, Rua Al Madinah, Saudi Icon, The Ascott, and Tourism Growth Fund (TDF) as Strategic Companions; Accor, BWH Lodges, ClubMed, Marriott Worldwide, Radisson Lodge Group, Rotana, and Sommet Training as Headline Sponsors; Aleph Hospitality, ARC-IDC, Ark Individuals Options, AtkinsRealis, CBRE, Compass Undertaking Consulting, Domus Managed Housing, ELE|NA, H World Worldwide, Horwath HTL, IHCL, JLL, JT+P, Knight Frank, Louvre Lodges Group, Minor Lodges, Quo, Story Hospitality, STR, The First Group, United Hospitality Administration, and Wyndham Lodges & Resorts as Sponsors; Dusit Worldwide, Hospitality Chain Co, Hospitality Administration Holding, Melia Lodges Worldwide, Neo Leap, Rove Lodges, Shaza Lodges, Sophos Lodges, Time Lodges, TV5Monde, Valor Hospitality Companions, and WhiteWater as Exhibitors.
Anne Bleeker
In2 Consulting
+971 56 603 0886
The Bench