Since its creation almost 20 years ago, interiors specialist Alarabi Decoration of Saudi Arabia has completed more than 300 major projects spread over three continents.

In the eighties, Alarabi started its operation in the Kingdom, where it was soon considered among the top companies of the area in the field of decoration and finishing for hotels, royal palaces, shopping malls, mosques and private villas.

"When we first started, we focused on the renovation and turnkey decoration of hotels and palaces, without neglecting the other projects in the private sector," says Renato Zimmerman, the general manager of the Jeddah-based firm. "Today, we are proud to have successfully completed a large number of the most prestigious projects in the Middle East and, since several years now, we have been involved in major projects in Asia, Africa and Europe.''

He continues: "At the moment, we are working in three deluxe hotels in Italy, France and Spain. In Africa, we are now starting work on the second phase of the Sheraton in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after completing the first phase of the project, and in Egypt, we are working on the extension of the Le Meridien hotel in Cairo.

''But our most exciting project today is in Jeddah, where the new Hilton complex is under construction. This hotel is expected to be one of the most beautiful hotels in the region and it is scheduled to open by end of 2001.''

Among other projects, Alarabi has executed work at the Casino du Liban in Beirut, Lebanon, the recently-opened King Fahd International Airport, inaugurated last year in Dhahran, Leylaty ballroom in Jeddah, and the West Inn Hotel, recently opened in Jeddah.