Senior Director - Destination Partnerships

Qiddiya | القدية; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Qiddiya seeks a Senior Director to spearhead Commercial Partnerships and Distribution in Saudi Arabia. You will shape the partnerships ecosystem, drive revenue through travel trade relationships, and optimize online and offline channels for tourism activations.

You will set multi-year targets, build tiered partner models, and lead cross-functional teams to deliver measurable visitor and brand value across channels and markets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Tourism Management, Hospitality Management, or a related field.
• Master's degree or MBA is strongly preferred.
• Professional certifications in tourism or commercial management (CDME or CTA) are advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the commercial partnerships and distribution strategy in alignment with Qiddiya's objectives and Vision 2030.
• Identify, negotiate, and secure high-value partnerships with travel agencies, tour operators, airlines, and hospitality groups.
• Lead the development of a structured partner lifecycle and tiering model with defined benefits and incentives.
• Oversee distribution network development, including online travel agencies and GDS connections.
• Manage the commercial revenue and budget for Partnerships and Distribution, with dashboards and governance.
• Lead a team of Senior Managers, Managers, and Specialists and foster a data-driven culture.
• Represent Qiddiya with government entities and tourism authorities, coordinating joint campaigns and activations.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Partnership development

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Business acumen

Team leadership

Data-driven decision making

Public speaking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Tourism Management, Hospitality Management, or related field

Master's degree or MBA

Certifications in tourism/commercial management (CDME/CTA)

Job description

The Senior Director - Commercial Partnerships & Distribution is responsible for developing and managing Qiddiya's commercial partnerships ecosystem and distribution network. The role drives sustainable revenue through strategic partnerships, travel trade relationships, online and offline distribution channels, and tourism activations.

Requirements

Commercial Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and lead the commercial partnerships and distribution strategy in alignment with Qiddiya's objectives, national tourism priorities, and Vision 2030.
• Establish multi-year commercial targets, partnership priorities, and pipeline development plans.
• Position Qiddiya as a leading destination partner for international and domestic travel trade organizations.
• Develop innovative commercial models, including revenue-sharing arrangements, guaranteed inventory agreements, joint marketing contributions, and partner incentive programmes.
• Provide senior leadership with regular updates on commercial performance, market developments, risks, and opportunities.
• Translate the commercial strategy into clear plans, targets, and responsibilities for the Partnerships and Distribution teams.

Partnership Development and Management

• Identify, negotiate, and secure high-value partnerships with travel agencies, tour operators, online travel agencies, airlines, hospitality groups, and corporate travel partners.
• Build and manage relationships with key local, regional, and international partners.
• Develop a structured partner classification and tiering model with clearly defined benefits, access, incentives, and joint investment levels.
• Oversee partnership agreements, memoranda of understanding, and commercial contracts.
• Establish a structured partner lifecycle covering identification, evaluation, onboarding, activation, performance monitoring, renewal, and closure.
• Maintain senior-level relationships with executives and decision-makers at key partner organizations.
• Ensure partnership agreements deliver measurable commercial, visitor, and brand value.

Distribution Network Development

• Lead the development and optimization of Qiddiya's business-to-business and business-to-consumer distribution network.
• Oversee relationships and connectivity with online travel agencies and global distribution systems such as Amadeus, Sabre, and Galileo.
• Develop channel pricing, inventory management, rate parity, and commission policies across distribution channels.
• Lead the development of a trade partner portal offering booking tools, live inventory, marketing materials, and commission tracking.
• Evaluate and introduce suitable booking engines, central reservation systems, channel managers, and distribution technologies.
• Collaborate with Digital and Technology teams to improve customer journeys and conversion across digital distribution channels.
• Ensure distribution platforms and processes are scalable and integrated with Qiddiya's operational systems.

Revenue and Commercial Performance

• Manage the commercial revenue and budget for the Partnerships and Distribution function.
• Establish commercial dashboards to monitor partnership pipeline value, deal progress, conversion rates, channel performance, and revenue against targets.
• Implement structured pipeline governance and regular commercial deal reviews.
• Work with Product and Finance teams to develop pricing and yield-management approaches across peak and off-peak periods.
• Monitor the commercial performance of individual partners, channels, products, and market segments.
• Conduct market and competitor benchmarking against comparable destinations.
• Identify revenue risks, performance gaps, and new commercial opportunities and recommend appropriate actions.

Team Leadership and Capability Development

• Lead and develop a team of Senior Managers, Managers, and Specialists across Partnerships and Distribution.
• Establish clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and development plans for team members.
• Build a commercially focused, partner-oriented, and data-driven working culture.
• Identify capability gaps and address them through recruitment, training, coaching, and knowledge-sharing.
• Support the team in managing complex negotiations, partner relationships, and commercial challenges.
• Promote Qiddiya's values and expected standards across internal operations and external partner engagements.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as the main commercial representative for partnership and distribution matters with relevant government entities, tourism authorities, and Qiddiya stakeholders.
• Work closely with Marketing to deliver joint campaigns, familiarization trips, trade activities, and partner-led activations.
• Coordinate with Finance, Legal, Procurement, Operations, Product, Digital, and Technology to ensure commercial agreements are compliant and operationally deliverable.
• Represent Qiddiya at major domestic and international travel trade exhibitions and industry events.
• Build effective relationships with the Saudi Tourism Authority, Ministry of Tourism, travel trade organizations, and tourism industry bodies.
• Ensure internal stakeholders receive clear and timely updates on commercial priorities, commitments, and performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Tourism Management, Hospitality Management, or a related field.
• Master's degree or MBA in a relevant discipline is strongly preferred.
• Professional certifications in tourism, destination management, or commercial management, such as CDME or CTA, are advantageous.
• Minimum of 12 years of progressive commercial experience within tourism, hospitality, destination management, travel trade, or a related industry.
• At least five years of experience in a senior leadership position