RIYADH: Abu Dhabi National Hotels is exploring expansion opportunities in North Africa and Europe, the company’s CEO revealed during the Future Hospitality Summit on Tuesday. This development strategy points to the company’s growth ambitions, giving access to new customer segments and markets, Khalid Anib indicated. The executive also emphasized ADNH’s commitment to environmental responsibility, stating: “As owners, we are embracing sustainability and are ready to enhance our buildings to be more sustainable.” The Future Hospitality Summit, a gathering of industry figureheads and key stakeholders, witnessed prominent business leaders sharing their insights on expansion and ambitions for growth within the market. Adeeb Ahamed, the managing director of Lulu Financial Holdings & Twenty14 Holdings, addressed the hospitality industry’s pivotal role in job creation. Ahamed stated: “One in 11 jobs are generated by the hospitality sector, making it a priority in every market.” He stressed that despite technological advancements, the hospitality sector remains unique, with limited job displacement, as the human touch remains integral. Ahamed also highlighted the growing appeal of the region as a tourist hot spot, drawing parallels with popular European destinations. He noted: “The countries in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) are becoming very attractive in terms of tourism, and this is very good news for the entire economy. Like in Europe where people visit multiple countries in one holiday, the GCC is creating something of that sort and this is where we like to capitalize, we like to see how we can do it in Oman, in Saudi Arabia, in Qatar. And this would give more reasons to travel here.” In response to the rapid growth of the hospitality sector in neighboring Saudi Arabia, Ahamed commented: “I think Saudi Arabia is not a competition. It’s a combined effort that’s going to bring more confidence to investors to invest in the region, so more awakening done by neighboring countries is definitely going to boost the ecosystem.”