LEADER – JERRY INZERILLO, CEO, THE DIRIYAH COMPANY: "YOU COULD DESCRIBE DIRIYAH AS BEING HOME TO A GLOBAL WHO’S WHO OF THE WORLD’S LUXURY HOTEL BRANDS"
With a career spanning over fifty years, the visionary leader now embraces one of the world’s most ambitious projects: transforming Diriyah, the birthplace of Saudi Arabia, into an iconic cultural and tourism destination. |
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LEADER – JERRY INZERILLO, CEO, THE DIRIYAH COMPANY: "YOU COULD DESCRIBE DIRIYAH AS BEING HOME TO A GLOBAL WHO’S WHO OF THE WORLD’S LUXURY HOTEL BRANDS"
With a career spanning over fifty years, the visionary leader now embraces one of the world’s most ambitious projects: transforming Diriyah, the birthplace of Saudi Arabia, into an iconic cultural and tourism destination. |
Catégorie : - Économie du secteur
- Interviews et portraits
- Projets hôteliers - Tourisme - Interviews
Interview de Vanessa Guerrier-Buisine le 23-05-2025
 After a solid career in luxury hotels and travel, Jerry Inzerillo takes on a grand challenge in Diriyah
Crédit photo © SIFR_STUDIO
At just 33, in 1987, he made history by leading Morgans Hotel Group, where he helped create a revolutionary concept: the boutique hotel. Under his leadership, properties like Morgans, the Royalton, and the Delano in Miami Beach became industry icons.
While his boldness was being celebrated worldwide, he went on to write another remarkable chapter in hospitality as President of Kerzner International from 1991 to 2011. He spearheaded the development of the legendary Atlantis resorts, from Paradise Island in the Bahamas to The Palm in Dubai, while expanding the One&Only brand across dream destinations. Two decades shaped by a unique vision of luxury resorts, combining scale, emotion, and unforgettable experiences.
In 2014, Jerry Inzerillo took the helm of Forbes Travel Guide. Under his leadership, the organization expanded from its U.S.-focused roots to achieve global recognition, establishing its star-rating system as a universal benchmark of hotel excellence, now spanning over 100 countries. He also infused the organization with his passion for community and recognition by launching the FTG Summit, gathering hospitality leaders worldwide to celebrate service excellence. Now Vice Chairman of Forbes Travel Guide, he continues to inspire and mentor luxury hospitality leaders around the globe.
In 2018, a meeting with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman changed everything, leading him to write the most ambitious chapter of his career. Captivated by the Crown Prince’s bold vision, he accepted the leadership of Diriyah Gate Development Authority, now The Diriyah Company, with an extraordinary mission: to transform the historic site of Diriyah, on the outskirts of Riyadh, into a world-class cultural and tourism destination.
Since then, Jerry Inzerillo and his team have been driving an unprecedented development strategy: 14 square kilometers of transformation, partnerships with the world’s leading hotel brands – Ritz-Carlton, Aman, Four Seasons, Raffles, Six Senses, Capella – a vibrant cultural scene, a Greg Norman-designed golf course, a royal opera house, arenas, and entire districts dedicated to arts and gastronomy. Yet always with the same unwavering commitment: to bring Saudi heritage and identity to life with respect, while delivering an exceptional hospitality experience that moves travelers from around the world.
In this exclusive interview with Journal des Palaces, Jerry Inzerillo shares his contagious enthusiasm, his vision for the future of tourism, and his deep commitment to empoweringSaudi youth. A heartfelt testimony from a man for whom serving is far more than a profession: it is a lifelong mission.
Journal Des Palaces: With over five decades in luxury hospitality, having led some of the world’s most iconic hotels and entertainment brands, what drew you to Diriyah and inspired you to take on this monumental project at this stage in your career?
Jerry Inzerillo: A lot of people, when they get to my stage in life start to think about slowing down, maybe spending more time on the golf course, relaxing and taking life a bit easier.
But that has never been in my DNA! I have always loved what I do, always looked for new challenges, new experiences and discovering new and rewarding career paths.
What I did not expect though was what happened in 2018 and a meeting that changed my life in the most extraordinary way I could ever imagine. Because that was when I met His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
It was an occasion I will never forget. When you spend time with the Crown Prince you get to experience his dynamic personality, his vision, his passion, his ideas, and determination to transform Saudi Arabia.
When he explained to me the size and scale of Diriyah and its global ambition, I was amazed. There was simply no way I could have refused his offer. This is without doubt the biggest, the most challenging and rewarding part of my career and one I continue to love every day.
I have never been involved in anything of this scale and ambition, and I am enormously proud to have been entrusted with the responsibility to help lead this amazing project alongside an incredible team at Diriyah Company.
How does your experience influence the development of the luxury hospitality offering at Diriyah?
It is of course a sector I know well and am proud to have worked in for over five decades. Together with our fantastic team at Diriyah Company, it means I understand what works in this sector, the infrastructure and systems luxury brands require – and the need for unique and extraordinary new places to build new hotels.
When I travel around the world to share the Diriyah story, I believe my experience in the hotel sector can play an important part in convincing senior executives from the biggest hospitality firms about the opportunity that Diriyah has to offer. Once they discover what we are doing and on such a scale – they always want to get involved and find out how they can partner with us on this amazing journey we have begun.
How many luxury hotels and dining venues are currently planned for Diriyah, and could you share some insights on the luxury hotel partnerships already secured or in progress, and how they will reflect Diriyah’s unique identity?
I think in many ways you could describe Diriyah as being home to a global Who’s Who of the world’s luxury hotel brands.
Just to name some of the outstanding brands who are coming to operate at Diriyah you will find The Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Aman, Armani, Chedi, Raffles, Orient Express, Capella, Waldorf Astoria, Six Senses, Langham and Anantara.
When it comes to luxury dining, we already have numerous Michelin-starred brands and the best of Saudi cuisine in our Bujairi Terrace dining district.
And in February, Michelin-starred chef Michael Mina opened his first venue in Saudi Arabia and only second outside his native US at the 134-room Bab Samhan Hotel, a Luxury Collection hotel.
Bab Samhan was the first of our hotels to open last December and it’s conveniently located near both our UNESCO World Heritage Site of At-Turaif and Bujairi Terrace. Its distinctive design uses 300-year-old Najdi architectural themes throughout its exterior and interior – creating a truly unique place to stay.
Ultra-high-net-worth individuals are always seeking new, authentic experiences. What exclusive or immersive experiences will Diriyah offer to appeal to this discerning clientele?
For this sector we would anticipate many will choose to stay in one of our luxury hotels located in the exclusive Wadi Safar area of Diriyah.
A place where you will find Aman, Six Senses, Faena, Chedi and Montage Resorts. Situated in a beautiful valley that will also feature our Greg Norman designed championship golf course and the Wadi Safar Equestrian and Polo Center.
Another unique feature of the overall Diriyah project is our partnership with leading hotels who are building luxurious residences to buy, including the Four Seasons, Raffles and Armani.
There are also few places like Diriyah that offer an experience that immerses the traveler on so many levels. Creating a unique blend of history and heritage, centuries of culture but accompanied by the highest standards of luxurious accommodation and world-class hospitality and service.
In a competitive landscape with destinations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Muscat, what are Diriyah’s key assets to attract both luxury hospitality brands and loyal UHNWI travelers?
Our first and unique asset is our location in Saudi Arabia. A country that is now opening up to the world and satisfying decades of global curiosity to explore what has long been viewed as a mysterious and undiscovered destination.
With tourism visas readily available online for more than 60 countries already.
That is also what the luxury hotel sector and high net worth individuals are seeking – what is new, exciting and so far, relatively undiscovered.
Another major benefit we have at Diriyah is our location on the outskirts of Riyadh. We are just 15 minutes from the center of one of the world’s fastest growing cities and 25 minutes from King Khalid International Airport.
It means in many ways Diriyah is now the tourism and destination gateway to experience the extraordinary places and people of the Kingdom.
And in just over two years we have welcomed three million visits already – and anticipate approximately 50 million visits a year in the coming decade.
With Saudi Arabia set to be a high-end destination – it’s numbers like these—combined with our exceptional location, world-class master planning, and sustainable strategies—that make the world’s leading luxury hospitality brands eager to partner with us.
It is why for example Dolce&Gabbana chose our Bujairi Terrace to open their second café in the world outside of Portofino – as part of a beautiful boutique we opened last December.
Many affluent travelers seek multi-destination itineraries in the Middle East. How do you envision Diriyah integrating with other regional destinations to create seamless ultra-luxury travel experiences?
One of the unique characteristics of Saudi Arabia within the wider Middle East region is simply the size, scale and diversity of the Kingdom itself.
Beginning their journey in Diriyah, travelers will be immersed in an authentic Saudi experience—rooted in the birthplace of the Kingdom and home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of At-Turaif— where rich cultural heritage meets world-class lifestyle, creating an unforgettable experience.
At Diriyah, we are able to be either a standalone destination – especially for weekend travelers from the Gulf region and neighboring countries, or be part of a wider Saudi itinerary given our superb location near Riyadh and the ability to be the gateway and starting point for travelers from around the world.
From here, visitors can seamlessly travel to other regional or Saudi destinations such as AlUla and the Red Sea, each delivering best-in-class experiences. The infrastructure being developed—including world-leading hotels, bespoke services, and diversity of offerings— ensures that travelers enjoy a distinctive experience they’ll want to return to time and again.
From UNESCO World Heritage sites like ours, to unspoiled beaches and crystal clear waters or the sandstone mountains and desert terrain of the Kingdom’s northwest.
You’ve often said you love “razzmatazz” and the joy of showmanship. In a project as deeply rooted in heritage as Diriyah, how do you balance the respect for history and sustainability with your flair for entertainment and creating unforgettable experiences?
At Diriyah, we are very proud to be creating our City of Earth around the 300-year-old birthplace of the Kingdom. Something that has influenced our master planning and design strategy across the whole of our 14 square kilometer development area.
It is why our first task was to carefully restore the beautiful mudbrick walls of the palaces and other buildings within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of At-Turaif, ensuring we preserve the rich history and heritage of the past – before building the future.
When it comes to entertainment – we are already a fantastic place to come to with our annual Diriyah Season festival. A 5-month celebration of Saudi arts and culture that lasts from December to April and this season attracted over one million visits.
In the future of course, we will be home to the Royal Diriyah Opera House – the largest in Saudi Arabia – and a 20,000-seater multi-purpose Diriyah Arena.
Diriyah will also have a wide range of diverse arts and cultural centers – museums and galleries with many housed in our recently announced Qurain Cultural District and the Northern District.
You’ve always been passionate about nurturing young talent. How are you ensuring that Diriyah becomes a platform for empowering the next generation of Saudi tourism and hospitality leaders, particularly women?
When it comes to empowering the new generation of tourism and hospitality leaders, I am proud to be playing my part. But a part in a much bigger nationwide drive of empowerment that is being driven by the guidance of His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
His Highness is also an advocate of the maxim that passion fuels excellence. We must always remember that at the heart of hospitality lies a passion that turns ordinary interactions into extraordinary memories. And when that passion influences every action, excellence becomes the natural outcome.
Our goal at Diriyah – along with other destinations in the Kingdom – is to ensure that passion and desire for excellence is delivered to the generation of young Saudi men and women.
The majority of the 2300 team we have at Diriyah are Saudi nationals and 36 per cent are women, many in leadership roles.
We are helping to train and develop many of our young people and have partnerships in place with the London Business School and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors already.
And within the wider Diriyah area, we are helping with entrepreneurship and other training programs to ensure local residents have the skills they need to benefit from our project development.
With your considerable experience in luxury hospitality and destination development, what advice would you offer to young talents aspiring to build a meaningful career in the world of luxury hospitality?
Remember, it will be hard work—often involving unusual and long hours—but it’s a career unlike any other, offering the chance to work with a diverse range of people, meet individuals from around the world, and gain amazing experiences throughout your journey. You need to like people; to enjoy putting a smile on people’s faces and ensure they experience amazing lifelong memories.
The career is also one of lifelong learning, of being open to new cultures, languages and ways of living. The sector is one of the fastest growing and most dynamic in the world – but it can only thrive and succeed on the talented young people who will build it for the future.
As someone who started out as 13-year-old bus boy waiting tables in New York – I know that hard work, passion and believing in your dreams can take you all the way. The only barriers to a career in this industry are usually those imposed by the individuals themselves.
What I have been enormously encouraged by in recent years in Saudi Arabia however has been two things in particular.
The first is the enthusiasm, drive and desire to succeed shown by the wonderful young Saudi men and women I am privileged to work with every day in Diriyah Company.
The second is how both our company – and the Saudi Government – are totally committed to delivering the training, the skills and expertise that is required to train the tens of thousands of people needed to work today and in the future in the Kingdom’s rapidly expanding tourism industry.
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