Rotana,  a leading hotel management company operating hotels across the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe, plans to open six new hotels in Saudi Arabia by 2017.

The new hotels will come up in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar and Dammam, providing an additional 1,500 rooms and suites. Four of these properties will be under the "Centro by Rotana " brand, a report in Saudi Gazette said.

"These new properties are an important part of our plan to expand our presence in the kingdom," Omer Kaddouri, president and CEO at Rotana, was quoted as saying.

"The hotel segment in the kingdom is the largest in the Arab world," said Kaddouri.

Rotana operates a portfolio of more than 100 hotels and resorts in the region.

"We have big ambitions and we are seizing the current opportunity to expand and meet the challenges of a growing market with the goal of further becoming a leading player in hospitality not only in the Middle East and Africa but in South Asia and Eastern Europe, as well," he said.