Swiss Hospitality Company signed a strategic partnership with EHL Advisory Services to join forces and leverage on their expertise to support the development of Saudi Arabia’s tourism gigantic projects according to 2030 Vision.
The strategic partnership agreement was signed by Mr. Salman Gasim, CEO at Swiss Hospitality Company –Based in Jeddah, and Mr. Olivier Verschelde, Senior Consultant at EHL Advisory Services – Based in Lausanne. A consulting and executive training company in hospitality, active in more than 30 countries, which supports the development of the hospitality industry and a subsidiary of EHL Group which includes the World’s No. 1 hospitality management school Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne an ambassador for traditional Swiss hospitality and has been a pioneer in hospitality education since 1893 with over 25,000 alumni worldwide.
The signing ceremony coincided with the visit of the delegation of the Saudi-Swiss Business Council to Switzerland, where the strategic agreement was signed at the Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, in the presence of His Excellency Ambassador Abdulaziz Al-Wasl, the Consul General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Salah Al-Qahtani, Chairman of the Saudi-Swiss Business Council, his deputy Mr. Fahd Al-Shathri, Mr. Abdullah Al-Masoud, the Commercial Attaché in Geneva, and the Advisor Mr. Abdulsalam Al-Kuwaity.
“From the leading position of the Swiss Hospitality Company and its active role in the development and advancement of the tourism and hospitality industry in Saudi Arabia, we are keen to engage in strategic partnerships and cooperation with leading international organizations that share the same vision and values,” said Mr. Gasim. “EHL has been recognized as the best university in the field of hospitality and tourism for the second year in a row, we believe their long years of expertise will be of an added value to the kingdom’s ambitious projects such as NEOM, Amaala Project, and the Development of Al-Ula.”
“We are delighted to sign this agreement with the Swiss Hospitality Company as it is the real engine for the development and renaissance of the tourism industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are delighted to share our experiences with them and benefit from the knowledge and expertise of its members that are led by Mr. Salman Gasim. We will seek to harness the University’s over 100 years of experience in the field of hospitality and tourism to contribute to the role of the Swiss Hospitality Company in the development of the tourism sector and to help it achieve its strategic objectives.”
Mr. Saleh Al Qahtani, Chairman of the Saudi-Swiss Business Council, added: “The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 has enhanced the tourism and leisure sector that would diversify the kingdom’s income sources and encourage private sector investment through the development of world-class tourism sites. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced a number of large projects in the tourism and entertainment sector to position the kingdom among the top destinations for tourist to visit and compete with neighboring countries.”