International hotel chain Radisson Hotels has announced plans to open five new properties in Saudi Arabia this year, despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company has announced eight new ventures between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom, as its chain in the US doubles down with 5,000 new rooms planned across the region.

The latest move comes as the hospitality industry struggles to recover from the global health crisis, which saw massive loss last year.

Radisson Hotel Group Middle East & Africa area senior vice-president Tim Cordon was quoted by media sources as saying: “The Middle East and Africa are two key development areas and our ambitions across the region have remained the same.

“We operate over 20 hotels, resorts and serviced apartments with over 3,500 keys in KSA today – with a pipeline doubling our portfolio by 2025.”

Radisson’s hotels in Al-Khobar, Dammam, and Jeddah have witnessed a steady occupancy improvement in January.

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Jeddah recorded a 62% occupancy while Al-Khobar and Dammam recorded about 72% occupancy.

In December last year, Radisson made its debut in Africa with the opening of the Radisson Collection Hotel in Bamako, Mali.

Located 20 minutes away from Modibo Keita International Airport, the new hotel offers 200 rooms that include 32 suites and three accessible rooms.

It features four restaurants and bars, City Grill, the G&G Café, the Oasis Pool Bar and Legends Sports Bar, a pool, fitness centre, and 11 meeting rooms with more than 1,100m2 of flexible event space with the AV technology.