Executive Director Development Hospitality📣 Job Ad

About the Executive Director - Development - Hospitality Role

Qiddiya Investment Company is developing a significant destination that will redefine entertainment, culture, and hospitality in the Kingdom. The Hospitality Business Unit is focused on creating a portfolio of hotel assets integral to this vision. To support the progression of these assets, we are seeking experienced professionals to ensure their delivery meets the highest standards in design quality, guest experience, and commercial performance.

Role Overview and Responsibilities

In this executive role, you will oversee a portfolio of hospitality assets throughout their entire development lifecycle, from initial concept and business case development through to final delivery and operational readiness. You will be responsible for establishing the development strategy at a portfolio level, guiding critical decision-making processes, and ensuring that the collective assets deliver distinct guest experiences, robust commercial performance, and long-term value for both the individual assets and the broader Qiddiya destination. This involves managing complexity at scale, driving alignment, governance, and performance across multiple stakeholders and interfaces to ensure consistent, commercially sound delivery aligned with Qiddiya’s vision and development objectives.

• Lead the strategic development and performance management of a hospitality asset portfolio from early-stage planning to operational readiness.
• Define and implement portfolio-level strategy, encompassing asset positioning, feasibility, phasing, and value creation.
• Ensure strategic alignment across asset management, design, delivery, and operator functions for seamless transitions from development to operations.
• Provide executive oversight for key portfolio decisions, including positioning, room mix, amenities, guest experience, and operational models.
• Balance portfolio-wide priorities, risks, and interdependencies to optimize overall value and delivery outcomes.
• Lead portfolio-level governance, reporting, and decision-making processes, clearly communicating priorities, risks, and recommendations to executive leadership.
• Maintain consistency in quality and design standards across assets, while allowing for flexibility based on individual asset strategies.
• Oversee critical validation milestones, ensuring alignment between operator requirements, design intent, commercial objectives, and delivery constraints.
• Proactively manage risks, dependencies, and interfaces across assets and workstreams to sustain delivery momentum.
• Build and lead high-performing teams, fostering strong development capabilities and best-practice approaches across the portfolio.

Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate will possess a proven track record in leading portfolios of complex assets, such as luxury hospitality, mixed-use developments, or destination projects. A Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Development, Architecture, Engineering, or a related discipline is required. Professional membership or recognized certification (*, RICS, RIBA, PMP, or equivalent) is preferred.

• Over 25 years of experience in real estate or hospitality development.
• Comprehensive experience across the full development lifecycle, from feasibility studies through to delivery and operational readiness.
• Substantial experience working with hotel operators, including selection, negotiation, alignment, and onboarding.
• Experience within large-scale, multi-stakeholder, or master-planned environments.
• Experience in the GCC region is preferred.
• Strong background in leading portfolio-level development strategy and asset positioning.
• Deep commercial acumen with a clear understanding of value optimization across multiple assets.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complexity across multiple stakeholders, workstreams, and development stages.
• Strong strategic judgment in high-value, large-scale development contexts.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive decision-making through clear, structured communication.
• Leadership capability to develop teams and build scalable development capacity.
• Comfort operating in fast-paced environments with ambiguity and evolving priorities.

Work Location and Type

This is a full-time position based in Riyadh, Riyadh Province.