Waldorf Astoria heading to Abha in...

Luxury hotel will be part of a development in the southwest highlands

Hilton is set to open a Waldorf Astoria in Abha, the capital city of the mountainous Aseer Province in southwest Saudi Arabia, following the signing of an MoU between the hotel group and developer Ardara.

This comes as Hilton is expected to reach a milestone of 100 properties, operating or in the pipeline, in Saudi by the end of 2025, with plans to quadruple its presence in the kingdom.

Located 2,300 metres above sea level, Waldorf Astoria Abha will offer 180 keys, plus branded residences, and will cater to travellers looking for nature and a slower pace of luxury.

The five-star property will be located in the AlWadi lifestyle community, a development spanning 2.5 million square metres with five distinct districts designed to reflect the architectural styles and natural beauty of the region.

Rendering of AlWadi lifestyle community

The project, which will also include a four-star hotel with 245 rooms, villas and apartments, high-end retail, entertainment facilities, walking trails and cycling paths, is part of a strategy to turn Abha and the wider Aseer region into a year-round world-class destination, offering visitors an alternative to Saudi’s desert-focused destinations.

Already a popular summer retreat for Saudi residents, the region plans to attract 8,000 tourists by 2030, almost double the current number, and contribute 6% of the non-oil GDP within 10 years.

Already under development, tourist destination The Point in Abha will feature luxury hotels, including Hilton Hotel Apartments and Canopy by Hilton, plus multiple high-end restaurants and cafes, while Seven Abha, a US$346 million (SAR 1.3 billion) entertainment destination will offer rides, indoor e-karting, a 10-lane bowling concept, 10-screen cinema and Discovery Adventures jungle-themed edutainment attraction created in partnership with Warner Bros.

Entertainment destination in Abha, Saudi

Downtown Abha features the restored mud-walled Shada Castle, which now serves as a handicrafts museum, while the Al-Muftaha district has stone houses and a weekly craft market.

The Aseer Province is known for the mountains of Aseer National Park, juniper forests and the Jabal Soodah peak, the highest in the country at 3,015 metres. The upcoming Aseer Season includes live performances, arts and family-friendly activities that showcase Saudi culture in the cool highlands.

Aseer Season is part of the Saudi Summer programme that runs until September 2025 and promotes cooler coastal escapes in Jeddah and the Red Sea, and mountains of Taif, Al-Baha and Aseer.

Aseer is a cornerstone of Saudi's tourism strategy, with plans to target 150 million visitors by 2030. Domestic tourism rose 11% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025 to 1.4 million Saudi visitors, with international tourism surging 42% to 68,900 visitors.

For more information, visit ardara.sa and www.hilton.com

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