Where hospitality
meets capital

Future Hospitality Summit brings the investors, owners, operators and governments who shape hospitality into one room. Six summits on four continents this season.

C-level decision-makers
3,000+
Investors
621
Assets under management
USD 11tn
Hotel signings on stage
29

The FHS series in 2025

The 2026–27
season

One platform, six rooms on four continents. Each summit is built for its market, with its own programme, investors and partners. Choose yours.

  1. Cairo Sofitel Downtown Cairo Nile First edition. FHS Living day on 11 November. Visit FHS Egypt
    Five panellists in conversation on an open-air stage in Cairo, the FHS Egypt panel screen behind themTwo women in conversation with drinks at the FHS Egypt launch reception terrace in CairoGuests seated on an open-air terrace in Cairo watching a presentation at the FHS Egypt launch reception
  2. Paris Pullman Paris Montparnasse Founding Edition. Where hospitality reimagines real estate. Visit FHS Living
    Two speakers in a fireside conversation on the FHS Living session stageA man and a woman in conversation at the FHS Living advisory board receptionAn advisory board member speaks into a microphone during the FHS Living advisory board session
  3. Rio de
    Janeiro     Rio de Janeiro, Brazil First edition. The Brazil Hospitality, Tourism and Real Estate Investment Forum, created by SAHIC. Visit BRAHIC
    Four panellists on the SAHIC stage in Rio de Janeiro discussing branded residences in Latin AmericaThree delegates smiling and toasting with sparkling wine at the SAHIC evening reception in RioA delegate speaks into a microphone from the audience during an interactive SAHIC session
  4. Madinah DoubleTree by Hilton at Madinah Gate The Kingdom’s hospitality investment summit comes to Madinah for the first time. Visit FHS Saudi Arabia
    A speaker addresses a packed Summit Stage hall at FHS Saudi Arabia in RiyadhDelegates networking in the evening inside a glass-lattice walkway at FHS Saudi ArabiaTwo smiling women hold cards with their names written in Arabic calligraphy at FHS Saudi Arabia
  5. Kampala Speke Resort Convention Centre, Munyonyo Africa’s hotel investment summit, formerly AHIF. Host partner: Uganda Tourism Board. Visit FHS Africa
    A speaker addresses a full room from the red FHS Africa Summit StageThree women delegates in conversation beside the Summit Stage sign at FHS AfricaGroup of delegates in orange FHS Africa shirts cheering on a stadium running track
  6. Ras Al
    Khaimah     Wynn Al Marjan Island The flagship moves from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah for 2027. Visit FHS World
    Four panellists on the FHS World Summit Stage in front of an audienceA group of delegates laughing and posing together at an FHS World evening networking eventDelegates walking through the warm-lit Madinat Jumeirah arcade at FHS World

Signed
on stage

In 2025 the FHS series brought together 3,000+ C-level decision-makers, including 621 investors representing over USD 11tn in assets under management. It facilitated USD 3bn in business opportunities, and 29 hotel signings were announced on stage. These are some of the latest.

  1. Blacksand and Marriott International Ten hotels across Saudi Arabia, from luxury to long-stayUSD 1.33bnFHS Saudi Arabia 2026
  2. Minor Hotels and Heyazah The first NH Hotels & Resorts property in the Middle East, Riyadh121 keysFHS Saudi Arabia 2026
  3. Shaza Hotels and FSM Hospitality Shaza Riyadh Stables Resort, an equestrian resort in Al Jubailah120 keysFHS Saudi Arabia 2026
  4. Accor and KRD Holding Mövenpick Erbil Gomaspan Resort, a lakefront resort in Iraq150 keysFHS World 2026
  5. IHG Hotels & Resorts Garner Hotels comes to the Middle East: Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah2 hotelsFHS World 2026
  6. Knowledge Economic City, Keller Williams and RE/MAX Exclusive brokerage for about 368 residences at Al Alyaa, Madinah368 homesFHS World 2026
  7. Accor and Mayan Properties Five hotels across Sub-Saharan Africa1,100 keysFHS World 2025
  8. Accor Sofitel Jabal Omar Makkah, within walking distance of the Holy Mosque1,141 roomsFHS World 2025

2025 series totals: The Bench, June 2026. Signings as announced in the FHS press room.

  • The opening of FHS Saudi Arabia 2026 under stage lights, a packed hall
  • Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates, in conversation on the FHS World 2026 stage
  • Delegates turned in their seats, mid-conversation, at FHS World 2026
  • The First Group Hospitality and Marriott International sign on stage at FHS World 2025
  • The FHS World 2025 beach party with a live band, the Burj Al Arab lit behind
  • A full house for the plenary at FHS Africa 2026
  • Mahmoud Abdulhadi, Deputy Minister of Tourism, in conversation at FHS Saudi Arabia 2026
  • Two delegates sharing a laugh at the FHS Africa 2026 evening reception
  • H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri receives the FHS Leadership Award at FHS World 2026
  • Pen to paper on the FHS Africa 2026 stage
  • Old friends greeting at the FHS Living launch reception
  • A golden-hour rooftop reception in Cairo at the FHS Egypt launch

Who takes
the stage

Royalty, a prime minister, ministers and the chief executives of Hilton, Accor, Emirates and Emaar have taken the FHS stage. Titles as of October 2026.

  • H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi

    UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah

    AHIC 2018

  • Edouard Ngirente

    Former Prime Minister of Rwanda

    AHIF 2017

  • H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum

    Founding Patron, AHIC and FHS; Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group

    FHS World 2026

  • H.R.H. Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

    Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

    AHIC 2009

  • H.R.H. Prince Turki AlFaisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

    Chairman of the Board of Directors, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies

    FHS Saudi Arabia 2026

  • H.E. Shaikha Al Nowais

    Secretary-General, UN Tourism

    FHS World 2025

  • H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri

    Minister of Economy and Tourism, United Arab Emirates

    FHS World 2025

  • H.E. Patricia de Lille

    Minister of Tourism, Republic of South Africa

    FHS World 2025

  • Fatim-Zahra Ammor

    Former Minister of Tourism, Crafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, Kingdom of Morocco

    FHS World 2024

  • Peninah Malonza

    Former Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, Kenya

    AHIF 2023

  • Mahmoud Abdulhadi

    Deputy Minister, Destination Enablement, Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia

    FHS Saudi Arabia 2026

  • H.E. Dr. Ghada Shalaby

    Former Vice Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Arab Republic of Egypt

    FHS 2023

  • Juliana Kagwa

    Chief Executive Officer, Uganda Tourism Board

    FHS Africa 2026

  • Christopher J. Nassetta

    President and CEO, Hilton

    AHIC 2017

  • Sébastien Bazin

    Chairman and CEO, Accor

    FHS World 2024

  • H.E. Mohamed Alabbar

    Founder and Managing Director, Emaar Properties; Chairman, Eagle Hills

    FHS 2023

  • John Pagano

    Group Chief Executive Officer, Red Sea Global

    FHS 2020

  • Jerry Inzerillo

    Group CEO, Diriyah Company

    FHS Saudi Arabia 2025

  • William E. Heinecke

    Founder and Chairman, Minor International

    FHS 2023

  • Federico J. González

    Chief Executive Officer, Radisson Hotel Group

    FHS Saudi Arabia 2022

  • Puneet Chhatwal

    Managing Director and CEO, The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL)

    FHS World 2024

  • James Riley

    Former Group Chief Executive, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

    FHS Saudi Arabia 2023

  • René Nijhof

    Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kempinski Hotels SA

    FHS World 2026

  • Nasser Al Nowais

    Chairman, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation

    FHS World 2025

Award winners since 2005

Between
summits

The conversation keeps going. Session films, the FHS Podcast and news from the people building hospitality’s next decade.

Skin in the game: the future of hospitality operating models

Session film · 36 minutes

The FHS Podcast

News

The content library

From Berlin
to Rio

Almost three decades of building the rooms where hospitality capital meets, from the first investment forum in Berlin to six summits on four continents.

  1. 1998

    Jonathan Worsley co-founds IHIF, the International Hotel Investment Forum, in Berlin.

  2. 2001

    The Bench is founded in London as a data benchmarking company.

  3. 2006

    AHIC, the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference, launches in Dubai, hosted by Jumeirah.

  4. 2008

    The Bench merges with STR Global.

  5. 2010

    AHIF, the Africa Hotel Investment Forum, launches in Casablanca, led by Matthew Weihs.

  6. 2012

    The Bench opens its Dubai office.

  7. 2015

    The Bench acquires 50% of SAHIC, the South America Hotel Investment Conference.

  8. 2016

    AviaDev Africa launches in Kigali.

  9. 2018

    The Saudi Arabia Hospitality Investment Conference launches in Riyadh.

  10. 2019

    The Bench acquires the Adriatic Hotel Investment Forum, now IDEEA.

  11. 2020

    The Future Hospitality Hybrid Summit launches with the G20 Secretariat.

  12. 2021

    Startup Den launches at the summit in Dubai.

  13. 2022

    AHIC and GRIF come together as Future Hospitality Summit.

  14. 2023

    FHS Saudi Arabia moves to Al Faisaliah in Riyadh and welcomes more than 1,000 delegates.

  15. 2024

    The Dubai summit becomes FHS World. FHS Saudi Arabia draws 1,300+ delegates.

  16. 2025

    AHIF becomes FHS Africa. FHS World gathers nearly 1,600 leaders from more than 70 countries.

  17. 2026

    FHS Egypt and FHS Living launch, and the Branded Residences Forum becomes FHS Living. The Bench signs a partnership with UN Tourism.

  18. 2027

    FHS World moves to Ras Al Khaimah. FHS Living opens its Founding Edition in Paris and BRAHIC its first edition in Rio de Janeiro.

Sources: The Bench, Our journey; FHS press releases 2022–2026.

Organised by
The Bench

The Bench builds the rooms where hospitality’s owners, investors, operators and governments meet, across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Latin America.

The Bench has organised hospitality investment events for more than 25 years. Our summits are built with the governments and companies that shape each market: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism, the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, the Uganda Tourism Board and, since July 2026, UN Tourism.

  • Jonathan WorsleyChairman
  • Ali ShahidChief Executive Officer
  • Matthew WeihsChief Development Officer

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