A record 47,431 rooms and 124 hotel projects are currently under development in Saudi Arabia, according to a new report.

The majority of these are in the final construction and pre-opening stages with 52 projects and almost 20,000 rooms set to open to the public throughout the kingdom this year, says the report by Tophotelprojects.

The report was commissioned by The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia, which is part of dmg events’ hospitality portfolio and will take place in Jeddah this May.

Hotels to open this year include The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah this month, Kempinski Al Othman Hotel in Al Khobar this May and the Nobu Hotel Riyadh, the first Nobu hotel in the kingdom, scheduled to open in June.

“This is going to be a record year for hotel openings in Saudi Arabia, with 19,867 rooms set to enter the market. Saudi Arabia is now the second largest hub for hotel construction in the Middle East and Africa, behind only the UAE,” said Christine Davidson, group event director of the dmg events hospitality portfolio.

Davidson said the opportunities for hoteliers and restaurateurs are significant in Saudi Arabia with government improvements to infrastructure, and developments to the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah.

Hilton Worldwide has the largest hotel pipeline in Saudi Arabia with 28 properties set to be added to the market in the coming years, alongside the 10 hotels currently trading in the kingdom.

Carlos Khneisser, vice-president of Development, Hilton Worldwide Middle East and North Africa, said: “With 20 years of operations in Saudi Arabia, 10 hotels trading and more than 28 in the pipeline, Hilton Worldwide’s presence in the kingdom continues to go from strength to strength.”