Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - 15 June 2017

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, today announced an agreement with Bukhamseen Group Holding Company, a Kuwaiti business conglomerate, to build and operate IHG hotels exclusively in the State of Kuwait. Under the terms of the agreement, IHG will expand its brand portfolio and hotel footprint in the market in an exclusive collaboration with the Group.

Founded in 1957, Bukhamseen Group Holding Company is a multinational organisation with business interests in tourism and hospitality, food and beverage, banking, education, engineering, finance, insurance, real estate as well as retail. Based in Safat, Kuwait, the group has operations in several markets in the Middle East including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Syria and Lebanon.

On this same day, forty years ago, Mr. Jawad Bukhamseen signed the first agreement with Mr. Charles Wilson, the founder of Holiday Inn chain of hotels.  IHG currently operates three hotels in Kuwait in partnership with Bukhamseen Group - Crowne Plaza Al Thuraya City, Holiday Inn Al Thuraya City and Holiday Inn Salmiya. Additionally, the newest venture located adjacent to the Crowne Plaza Al Thuraya City and Holiday Inn Al Thuraya City, is the InterContinental Al Thuraya that is currently under construction and is due to open in 2019.

The agreement grants country wide-exclusivity (Kuwait) to the Bukhamseen Group for a 10-year term and covers six IHG brands, including InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Resort, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites.

Alan Watts, Chief Operating Officer, Asia, Middle East and Africa, IHG said: “We are pleased to be signing an exclusive agreement with our long-term business partner - Bukhamseen Group, for further hotel development in Kuwait. With this signing, we look forward to increasing the momentum of our growth in the country and continue our endeavour to deliver great guest experiences to guests visiting Kuwait for business and or leisure."

Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG said: “Our relationship with the Bukhamseen group goes back over three decades, and together we have established a strong presence for IHG in Kuwait, with three operational hotels and one under construction. Each one of these hotels has a successful legacy in the country and we are confident that our future ventures together will follow suit.”

Jawad Ahmed Bukhamseen Founder & Chairman, Bukhamseen Group Holding Company said “We have had a rewarding relationship with IHG over the last 30 years. It is our pleasure to strengthen this association further through an exclusive agreement which will allow us to continue to deliver hotels of international standard in Kuwait and cater to the guests looking for a truly local, Kuwaiti experience.”  

-Ends-

Media enquiries:
Rasha El Haddad
Marketing & PR Manager - Kuwait 
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
Tel: +965 99872321
Email: rasha.elhaddad@crowneplaza.com.kw

Parisa Chum
Communications Director IMEA
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
Tel: +971-4-213-6067
Email: parisa.chum@ihg.com

About IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group): 
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo®, EVEN® Hotels, HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns nearly 5,200 hotels and 770,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with nearly 1,500 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty programme, with more than 100 million enrolled members worldwide. 

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 350,000 people work across IHG’s hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit www.ihg.com  for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com  for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihgplc.com/media and follow us on social media at: www.twitter.com/ihg , www.facebook.com/ihg  and www.youtube.com/ihgplc .

About Bukhamseen Group Holding Company
The Bukhamseen Group, with its numerous and diversified companies, started off over half a century ago with the vision of one man, Mr. Jawad Ahmed Bukhamseen, a pioneering and well-reputed businessman, known regionally for his business acumen, who founded the Jawad Bukhamseen Commercial Corporation in 1957. Under his leadership, this simple company grew and diversified, ultimately moving in status from a family business to a full-fledged institution with interests in several economic sectors.

Initially, the group's contribution to the national economy was the fruit of leadership in trade, real estate and construction. As the group pursued its quest for continuous development, it succeeded in matching pre-eminence in these sectors, with a robust presence in financial investment and banking, it also made a direct and significant contribution to other economic sectors such as the hospitality industry, travel and tourism, industrial production, media and communication works as well as consultancy services in urban planning, civil engineering, and major development projects.

© Press Release 2017