“The only good exception was Saudi Arabia,” said Gérard Pélisson, one of the founder’s of the well-known French hotel group Accor.

“Business was down by 50 percent in Egypt and other countries such as Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan,” he said while speaking to reporters during his visit to Novotel Hotel and Business Park in Dammam. “In Saudi Arabia the situation was quite the reverse ... Here we saw an increase of 20 percent in business.”

The Novotel Dammam, which was officially inaugurated in June last year, was the latest addition to Accor group’s network of 11 properties in the Kingdom.

“The Saudi market is considered the best and the safest because of political stability,” said Pélisson.

Saudi businessman Majed Al-Hokair said his Al-Hokair Group has plans to establish specialized hotel management institutes in Hail, Abha and the Eastern Province.

“Work on two such institutes will be completed by the end of this year while the one in Abha will be completed next year,” he said and referred to the group’s close collaboration and cooperation with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.