Ascott, the wholly owned-serviced residence business unit of Singapore-based real estate group CapitaLand, is introducing its Citadines brand in the Gulf region with the launch of two new hotels in Saudi Arabia.

Starting in Jeddah, the 166-unit Citadines Tahlia Jeddah and the 136-unit Citadines Al Salamah Jeddah are expected to open in the first quarter of 2014.

With this launch, Ascott’s portfolio of serviced apartments in the Gulf region has risen to more than 1,500 units across nine properties in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The management contracts have been awarded to the Abdul Samad Al Qurashi Group, one of the leading conglomerates in Saudi Arabia with operations throughout the Gulf region and in Europe.

Announcing this on Tuesday, Ascott’s CEO Lee Chee Koon said, "By bringing our Citadines brand to the Gulf region, we will grow our network to 75 properties across 45 cities globally. Citadines provides independent travellers with the flexibility to choose the services they require to customise their stay experience."

"The brand is extremely popular in Europe and Asia and many in the Gulf region who travel frequently to Europe are very familiar with Citadines," he explained.

"When our two Citadines properties open in Jeddah next year, expatriates and travellers to the Gulf region will be able to choose from our three award-winning brands of serviced residences," said Lee Chee Koon.

Sym Lee, the head of GCC operations, said: “Jeddah provides the best of both worlds – a vibrant destination for business travel and relocation, as well as a dynamic leisure market. With steady economic growth, especially in the construction and trade sectors, the port city of Jeddah is poised to be one of the region’s key cities for commerce.”

"Jeddah is also a popular destination for domestic and foreign leisure travellers. For pilgrims, Jeddah acts as the gateway city to Makkah and Madinah. Jeddah is also known for its rich culture, historical sites as well as its wide variety of shops and restaurants," explained Lee.

"We are confident that both Citadines units will perform well in the market and pave the way for more Citadines serviced residences in the region," he added.-TradeArabia News Service