Executive Director, Development – Hospitality

MRG Global; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 1,200,000 - 1,700,000; Full time

Job summary

MRG is seeking an Executive Director, Hospitality Development for a major Saudi Arabian developer. The role leads development across the full lifecycle of a hospitality portfolio, from strategy through to operating readiness and opening.

Based in Riyadh, the role requires senior experience with hotel assets, operator engagement, and commercial feasibility. You will shape portfolio strategy, coordinate with operators and designers, and ensure guest experience informs development decisions.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading the development of hotel and hospitality assets.
• Strong knowledge of the complete hotel development lifecycle from feasibility to pre-opening and operation.
• Experience overseeing multiple hospitality assets or a large development programme.
• Strong understanding of hotel operations and how development decisions affect guest experience and performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of a portfolio of hospitality assets across the full lifecycle from strategy to operational readiness.
• Set portfolio development strategy including positioning, business cases, phasing, product definition and value optimisation.
• Provide senior oversight of hotel concepts, room and amenity programmes, guest experience and operating models.
• Coordinate with hotel operators, consultants, designers, delivery teams and internal stakeholders to maintain alignment across assets.
• Lead operator interfaces, translating operational requirements into commercially viable development solutions.
• Ensure development decisions balance guest experience, design quality, programme, cost and asset performance.

Skills

Hospitality development leadership

Lifecycle development knowledge

Portfolio management

Hotel operations understanding

Operator engagement

Commercial feasibility and value

Job description

MRG has been retained by a major Saudi Arabian developer to appoint an Executive Director, Hospitality Development.

The organisation is developing a significant portfolio of hospitality assets as part of a wider mixed-use destination. With the hospitality programme moving towards its next phase of development and delivery, this appointment will provide senior leadership across the portfolio and ensure hospitality remains fully represented within the wider destination strategy.

This is a broad development leadership role, spanning strategy, asset positioning, feasibility, design, delivery and operational readiness. The Executive Director will take responsibility for a portfolio of predominantly mid-market hotel assets, with each hotel playing an important role in supporting the wider guest experience.

The successful candidate will bring substantial hospitality development expertise and a strong understanding of how hotel assets move from initial concept through to opening and operation. Candidates who have built their careers with recognised hotel operators before moving into owner-side development will be particularly relevant, as will development leaders with strong design, commercial and operator-management credentials.

The Role

The Executive Director will:

• Lead the development of a portfolio of hospitality assets across the full development lifecycle, from early strategy and feasibility through design, construction and operational readiness.

• Set portfolio-level development strategy, including positioning, business cases, phasing, product definition and value optimisation.

• Provide senior oversight of hotel concepts, room and amenity programmes, guest experience and operating models.

• Work closely with hotel operators, consultants, designers, delivery teams and internal stakeholders to maintain alignment across each asset.

• Lead key operator interfaces, including the translation of operational requirements into commercially viable development solutions.

• Ensure development decisions balance guest experience, design quality, programme, cost and long-term asset performance.

Candidate Profile

We are interested in speaking with senior hospitality development professionals who can demonstrate:

• Significant experience leading the development of hotel and hospitality assets.

• Strong knowledge of the complete hotel development lifecycle, from feasibility and concept development through construction, pre-opening and operational readiness.

• Experience overseeing multiple hospitality assets or a substantial hotel development programme.

• A strong understanding of hotel operations and the relationship between development decisions, guest experience and operational performance.

• Direct experience working with international hotel operators, including operator engagement, technical services and development interfaces.

• Strong commercial judgement, including feasibility, investment considerations, development economics and value optimisation.

This role will suit an established hospitality development leader seeking portfolio responsibility within one of Saudi Arabia's major destination development programmes. The position is based in Riyadh and offers significant exposure to projects progressing from development into delivery.