Rising star of the Saudi hospitality industry – and Glion Master’s graduate – Waleed Alahmadi shares his vision for his own and his country’s future.

Vision 2030 is transforming Saudi Arabia, improving citizens’ quality of life, expanding growth and investment opportunities and bringing about greater integration with the rest of the world.

Launched in 2016, it is essentially a blueprint for diversifying the country’s economy, creating a vibrant environment for local and international investors and establishing Saudi Arabia as a global leader. Alongside this, Vision 2030 aims to create a society that offers opportunities for citizens to realize their potential and usher in a new era of development and prosperity.

Against this backdrop – perhaps unsurprisingly – the hospitality industry is thriving, so it’s an exhilarating time to be working in the country’s hotels.

For Glion alumnus and Saudi national Waleed Alahmadi, who is currently the Assistant Guest Services Manager at the Ritz-Carlton in Jeddah, it’s even more exciting as he has recently been included in Hotelier Saudi’s 30 Under 30 list. Not only that, he received a commendation from Chief Operating Officer Middle East & Luxury, Europe Middle East & Africa Marriott International, Sandeep Walia, as one of its Hoteliers Under 30 Superstars, presented by his hotel’s General Manager Vipin Khattar.

Shaping the future

“To be honest, I only heard about the list when it was published,” says Waleed, speaking to The Insider shortly afterwards. “It was a bit of a surprise. I remember our marketing manager asked me for some details about me and my education towards the end of last year, but I had no idea it was for Hotelier Saudi.

“The reaction has been incredible. As well as being congratulated by the Glion alumni team, I’ve been recognized around the hotel too. I’m especially delighted the General Manager came up to me to offer me his congratulations and say he is proud of me and my work. And as a Saudi, it’s an honor to be recognized by such a well-known and prestigious publication for my efforts to shape the future of hospitality in our region, drive change and promote excellence, especially among the emerging generation of talent.”

It’s a generation that’s been encouraged to thrive in hospitality thanks to Vision 2030 and Waleed was one of the first to take advantage of the Scholarship (Excellence Track) Phase 2, set up by the Saudi government as part of that vision to help students study abroad.

“The intention was for us to develop more knowledge and a deeper understanding of hospitality from some of the best schools in the world, gain experience through internships, then return and apply what we had learned and teach the new generation of aspiring Saudi hospitality workers,” adds Waleed. “That’s exactly what I’ve been able to do and am now working with interns at the Ritz-Carlton Jeddah to share my experience with them.”

A culture of hospitality

New recruits to Saudi Arabia’s rapidly growing hospitality industry will need all the assistance they can get if the current upward trajectory continues. Thanks to Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s doors are now open even wider to the world and investments are pouring into a broad range of key sectors, including tourism.

“If you look at the numbers alone, in 2022, we had 18 million foreign visitors to Saudi Arabia,” says Waleed. “In 2023, just a year later, we had 28 million visitors, which is around a 64% increase. That in itself shows how Vision 2030 is affecting the tourism and hospitality sector in the country.

“The industry has already changed so much since Vision 2030 was launched and that played a big role in my decision to switch from marketing to hospitality. One of the most significant new developments in the sector is that more and more Saudis are taking on senior roles. Back in the old days, these were mainly filled by foreign nationals, but since Vision 2030 was launched, we’ve seen a new generation of Saudi leaders coming through – and I’m aspiring to be one of them.”

While opportunities for advancement in this dynamic industry are a big incentive for ambitious professionals, they are not the only reason Waleed was drawn to the sector.

“Coming from Saudi Arabia, hospitality is in our blood,” he says. “Welcoming guests is part of our culture and something that’s drilled into us from a very early age. I distinctly remember when I was about five or six years old and being responsible for offering my father’s visitors coffee and showing them where to be seated.

“Customer engagement appeals too. Understanding guests, doing your best to make them feel comfortable and making their stay memorable are all things I love about my current role. Especially guests who are visiting Saudi Arabia for the first time. Sharing our culture and showing them how we do hospitality here are things I find genuinely rewarding.”

Disciplined approach

Having completed his Master’s in International Hospitality Management (now Master’s in Hospitality Business Leadership) at Glion in 2023, Waleed embarked on his hospitality journey via internships at the AlpenGold Hotel and the Hard Rock Hotel in Davos, Switzerland (pictured below), before joining Marriott’s Voyage Program.

“I had a couple of other options at the time,” he says. “But what I liked about the Voyage Program was that you started out in a supervisory role and the hotel’s expectations of you were clear from the outset. What was also clear was the vision of where the program could take you – and in my case, that was reaching assistant manager level on completion.”

Waleed’s impressive achievements since graduation are a testament to his hard work and dedication, but he also credits what he learned at Glion as being pivotal to his success.

“One of the things that stuck with me was discipline,” he says. “I remember being told: ‘If you are on time, you are late,’ and that’s a rule I’ve lived by ever since. I even share that with my interns now and I’m a firm believer that discipline is the key to success.

“But it’s no good just being disciplined – you have to have the right tools for the job. And what I learned at Glion showed me how things are supposed to work in hotels, whichever department you are working in.

“What Glion also gave me was an incredible network. Studying there introduced me to people from all over the world, many of whom I’m still in touch with today. In fact, when I posted about being listed in The Hotelier 30 Under 30 list, I got loads of messages from classmates congratulating me, which was really nice but also shows how supportive that Glion network is. I love that we celebrate each other’s successes.”

An eye on the future

While lists such as 30 Under 30 showcase the industry’s stars of the future, appearing in them is no guarantee of success. And although Waleed acknowledges the short-term boost his listing has had on his career prospects, in the longer term he is not relying on his new-found status.

“It’s great to be on the list and recognized, not just by my employers but by the wider industry as well” he says. “Above all, it’s an endorsement of the work I’m doing to shape the future of hospitality here in Saudi Arabia. But I’m also working on my own future as well.

“Many people dislike the question ‘where do you see yourself in five years?’, but I love it, because it’s really about setting goals. And once I’ve set myself such a target, I understand how important it is for me. Currently, my goal is to become a front office manager within two years, then I’m aiming to become a rooms director and ultimately a general manager. I honestly think having clear goals makes them easier to achieve.”

Waleed also has a clear idea of how Saudi Arabia and its hospitality industry will look in the coming years.

“When you examine how far we have come in the last 20 or so years, you can see how much change has already happened,” he says. “And that’s because there are people here who believe in the country and are working to deliver a better future for it.

“As an example, we already host huge events such as the Formula One Grand Prix and we will be hosting Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup in 2034. That was unimaginable just 10 years ago, but now it’s a reality. It’s also something our hospitality industry has had to adapt to quickly. But we have succeeded and will continue to meet and exceed expectations in the years to come. It’s really beautiful and makes me proud to be a Saudi and working in this incredible industry.”

Photo credit

Jeddah F1: Clive Mason/Getty