Group Director of Marketing & Communications

Hotel Overview:

Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel, is located only a few steps away from the Masjid Al Haram and the Holy Ka’aba. This 86-story hotel, one of the world’s tallest, is the focal point of the Abraj Al Bait Complex, part of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project, is the iconic symbol of hospitality in the Holy City. The hotel authentic hospitality is seen throughout 1650 guest rooms and suites are thoughtfully and elegantly appointed-with extravagant amenities and five-star services that allow for peaceful reflection and repose. 

Raffles Makkah Palace promises the exceptional standards inherent in the Raffles name and enhanced by Arab hospitality values. Raffles Makkah Palace offers 219 Suites & duplex Villas with breathtaking views of the Masjid Al Haram, the Holy Ka’aba and the city. The hotel combines the best of local cuisine and international dishes in each of its four outlets creating a unique and welcoming atmosphere in this diving setting. Guests can also indulge and immerse themselves in a relaxing sensory experience in our world-renowned spa and fitness center or hold high-powered business gatherings in any of our state-of-the-art meeting rooms.

Swissôtel Makkah is Swissotel’s first hotel to open in Saudi Arabia. The hotel offers 1487 elegant rooms and suites with modern design, complementing the values of today’s Arab culture. As part of the prestigious Abraj Al Bait complex, the deluxe Swissotel Makkah is a contemporary five-star hotel located in close proximity to the holy Masjid Al Haraam, overlooking the Ka’aba and the Grand Mosque. Swissôtel Makkah is part of a new urban development, including two restaurants, one executive lounge, two meeting rooms and a business center. It has private entrances that make it easier for pilgrims to reach Al Masjid Al Haram.

Swissôtel Al Maqam is Swissôtel’s second hotel to open in Saudi Arabia. The hotel offers 1624 elegant rooms and suites with modern design, complementing the values of today’s Arab culture. As part of the Abraj Al Bait complex, the deluxe Swissôtel Al Maqam is a contemporary five-star hotel located in close proximity of the Masjid Al Haraam, overlooking the Holy Ka’aba and the Grand Mosque. Swissôtel Al Maqam is part of a new urban development, including two restaurants, one executive lounge, two meeting rooms and a business center. It has private entrances that make it easier for our valuable gusts to reach Al Masjid Al Haram.

FRS Makkah is seeking an accomplished and commercially driven Group Director of Marketing & Communications to lead the strategic direction and execution of marketing, public relations and communications across a distinguished portfolio of four luxury and upper-upscale hotels:

• Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel
• Raffles Makkah Palace
• Swissôtel Makkah
• Swissôtel Al Maqam Makkah

Reporting to the relevant senior commercial leadership, the Group Director will be responsible for developing and implementing an integrated marketing and communications strategy that strengthens brand positioning, enhances market visibility, supports revenue growth and reinforces the reputation of each hotel and the wider portfolio.

This leadership role requires a strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen, a deep understanding of luxury hospitality, and the ability to balance the distinctive identities of internationally recognized hotel brands with the shared objectives of the group.

The successful candidate will lead brand marketing, public relations, corporate communications, digital marketing, content, social media, CRM and loyalty marketing, while fostering strong collaboration with hotel General Managers, commercial teams, brand representatives and external stakeholders.

A strong understanding of the Saudi hospitality landscape, particularly the unique dynamics of Makkah’s religious tourism market, is essential to delivering relevant, culturally sensitive and commercially effective marketing initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

1. Group Marketing Strategy & Commercial Leadership

• Develop and lead the group-wide marketing strategy, annual marketing plans and long-term brand development roadmap, translating business objectives into measurable marketing priorities for each hotel.
• Establish clear positioning and differentiation strategies for each property, ensuring alignment with individual brand standards, target audiences, competitive positioning and commercial objectives.
• Translate market intelligence, customer insights, competitive analysis and demand forecasts into actionable marketing strategies that support business growth.
• Lead integrated, multi-channel marketing campaigns across key domestic and international source markets, with particular focus on Umrah, Hajj, Ramadan and other high-demand travel periods.
• Identify opportunities to increase demand and revenue across rooms, suites, food and beverage, meetings and events, and other hotel offerings through targeted campaigns, strategic partnerships and brand activations.
• Work closely with Group Commercial leadership, Sales and Revenue Management to align marketing investment with business priorities, demand generation and revenue objectives.
• Develop strategic partnerships with tourism authorities, travel trade partners, relevant organizations, media outlets and commercial stakeholders to expand market reach and strengthen brand equity.
• Champion innovative marketing approaches, emerging consumer trends and new opportunities to enhance competitiveness and market relevance.

2. Brand Strategy & Governance

• Safeguard the integrity and consistency of each hotel’s brand identity, positioning and communication across all marketing channels and guest-facing touchpoints.
• Ensure compliance with global brand standards, corporate guidelines and approved visual and verbal identities, while adapting communications to local market needs.
• Develop distinctive brand narratives and positioning strategies that highlight each property’s unique value proposition, guest experience and competitive advantages.
• Oversee the development and approval of marketing collateral, campaigns, creative concepts, photography, video content and other brand assets.
• Establish effective marketing governance processes, including content approval, brand compliance reviews, campaign standards and quality assurance across the portfolio.
• Collaborate with international brand teams and corporate stakeholders to leverage global campaigns, brand resources and marketing opportunities while ensuring local relevance.

3. Public Relations, Media Relations & Corporate Communications

• Lead the group’s public relations and communications strategy, strengthening brand reputation, media visibility and stakeholder engagement across local, regional and international markets.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key media organizations, journalists, editors, industry publications, influencers and relevant communications partners.
• Oversee the development of press releases, media statements, executive messages, interviews, feature stories, corporate announcements and other external communications.
• Identify and secure strategic media opportunities, including editorial features, leadership interviews, hospitality awards, industry recognition and relevant media partnerships.
• Lead the planning and execution of media visits, press events, familiarization trips, launches, hotel milestones and strategic communications initiatives.
• Develop executive communications and key messaging for General Managers and senior leadership, ensuring consistency, clarity and alignment with the group’s strategic priorities.
• Oversee internal communications initiatives, where applicable, to support organizational alignment, employee engagement and awareness of group priorities and achievements.
• Establish crisis and issues management protocols in collaboration with hotel leadership and relevant corporate stakeholders, ensuring timely, accurate and coordinated communications.
• Monitor media coverage, sentiment, share of voice and reputation indicators, translating insights into recommendations that strengthen the group’s public profile.
• Ensure all communications reflect the cultural sensitivities, values and expectations of operating in Makkah and the wider Saudi market.

4. Digital Marketing, Content & Social Media

• Lead the group’s digital marketing strategy, encompassing search engine optimization, paid search, paid social, display advertising, online content and other relevant digital channels.
• Develop integrated digital campaigns that increase brand awareness, generate qualified demand and support measurable commercial outcomes.
• Oversee the strategic direction of social media channels, ensuring compelling storytelling, consistent brand representation, audience engagement and alignment with individual hotel positioning.
• Direct content strategy and creative production across photography, video, editorial content, campaign assets and digital storytelling.
• Ensure hotel websites, digital content and campaign landing pages present accurate, engaging and brand-compliant information, working with the relevant teams responsible for website management.
• Use customer insights, campaign analytics, audience segmentation and performance data to optimize targeting, channel effectiveness and marketing investment.
• Explore relevant emerging technologies, marketing platforms and digital trends to improve campaign effectiveness, audience engagement and the overall guest journey.
• Establish clear performance standards for digital campaigns, content quality, social media engagement and marketing-generated demand.

5. CRM, Customer Engagement & Loyalty Marketing

• Lead CRM and customer engagement strategies that support audience acquisition, personalized communications, repeat visitation and long-term guest relationships.
• Develop targeted campaigns aligned with customer profiles, travel behavior, market segments and key booking periods.
• Drive marketing initiatives that support ALL – Accor Live Limitless membership awareness, enrolment, engagement and participation, in coordination with relevant Accor teams.
• Collaborate with hotel operations, Sales, Reservations and other relevant departments to align marketing communications with the guest journey and improve customer engagement.
• Leverage available customer data and campaign insights to refine audience segmentation, enhance personalization and strengthen marketing effectiveness.
• Ensure CRM initiatives and guest communications comply with applicable privacy requirements, consent standards and brand guidelines.

6. Market Intelligence, Analytics & Performance Management

• Establish and maintain a comprehensive marketing performance framework across the portfolio, translating strategic objectives into measurable KPIs, performance targets and clear accountabilities.
• Define, monitor and evaluate performance indicators covering campaign effectiveness, marketing-generated demand, media exposure, brand awareness, digital engagement, CRM effectiveness, budget utilization and return on marketing investment.
• Ensure all marketing and communications initiatives have clearly defined objectives, success metrics, performance tracking and post-campaign evaluations, with actionable recommendations to improve future results.
• Lead the preparation, consolidation and presentation of regular performance reports covering individual initiatives, hotel performance, portfolio results and progress against agreed marketing and communications KPIs.
• Monitor individual and team KPI performance, identify gaps against targets, investigate root causes of underperformance and implement corrective actions through structured performance reviews.
• Present clear, data-driven performance updates to senior leadership, demonstrating the impact of marketing and communications activities on brand visibility, media exposure, audience engagement and commercial objectives.
• Translate performance data into actionable recommendations, continuously refining marketing strategies, campaign execution and investment allocation.
• Assess competitive activity, market trends, customer behavior and source-market developments to identify opportunities, risks and strategic priorities.
• Define consistent reporting standards across the portfolio while recognizing the different commercial objectives, positioning and performance requirements of each hotel.
• Promote a data-driven culture that connects marketing activity with measurable business outcomes and supports informed decision-making.

7. Budget Management, Agency & Partnership Oversight

• Develop, manage and monitor the annual group marketing and communications budget, ensuring appropriate allocation of resources against strategic priorities and commercial objectives.
• Establish budget controls, approval processes and performance reviews to ensure financial discipline, transparency and accountability.
• Evaluate marketing investment against agreed KPIs and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, optimize spending and maximize return.
• Lead relationships with public relations agencies, creative agencies, digital marketing partners, media representatives, production companies and other external suppliers.
• Negotiate agency scopes, deliverables, service standards and commercial terms, ensuring value for money and high-quality execution.
• Oversee the planning and delivery of marketing partnerships, sponsorships, media collaborations and brand activations, assessing their strategic relevance and measurable contribution.
• Ensure all marketing and communications activities comply with applicable company policies, procurement procedures and brand governance requirements.

8. Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead, mentor and develop group and hotel marketing and communications teams, establishing clear responsibilities, individual and team KPIs, performance objectives and professional development plans.
• Build a high-performing, collaborative team culture focused on strategic thinking, creativity, accountability, innovation and measurable results.
• Set clear performance expectations for team members, conduct regular performance reviews, monitor progress against agreed objectives and provide coaching to strengthen individual and collective performance.
• Assess team capabilities and resource requirements, identifying opportunities to strengthen skills, improve organizational effectiveness and optimize workload distribution.
• Provide strategic direction and coaching to hotel marketing leaders, ensuring consistency of approach while enabling property-specific initiatives.
• Establish effective ways of working across the four hotels to maximize resource utilization, share best practices and deliver integrated group-wide initiatives.
• Work closely with General Managers, Sales, Revenue Management, Operations, Finance, Human Resources and relevant brand and corporate teams to ensure marketing and communications support wider business objectives.
• Present strategic plans, campaign proposals, budgets, performance reviews and recommendations to senior management and relevant stakeholders.
• Represent the group in relevant industry forums, media engagements, partner meetings and professional hospitality networks.

• A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in marketing, public relations and communications, preferably within luxury or upper-upscale hospitality.
• At least 3 years of experience in a comparable senior leadership position, with 5 years preferred. Experience leading marketing and communications across a multi-hotel or cluster portfolio is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing integrated marketing and communications strategies for established hospitality brands.
• Proven track record in public relations, media relations, brand positioning, reputation management and strategic communications.
• Strong understanding of digital marketing, social media, content development, CRM, loyalty marketing and marketing analytics.
• Proven track record in KPI management, performance measurement and management reporting, including the ability to establish KPI frameworks, consolidate individual and team results, evaluate initiative effectiveness, identify performance gaps and present clear, data-driven insights and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to connect marketing strategies with commercial objectives and deliver measurable improvements in brand visibility, customer engagement and business performance.
• Experience managing substantial marketing budgets, external agencies, strategic partnerships and cross-functional teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business Administration, Hospitality Management or a related discipline. A relevant postgraduate qualification or professional certification is an advantage.
• Strong commercial acumen, analytical capabilities and the ability to translate complex data into clear strategic recommendations.
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, negotiation, presentation and written communication skills.
• Exceptional storytelling, editorial judgment and the ability to adapt messaging to different audiences, markets and communication channels.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is essential. Arabic language proficiency is a strong advantage.
• Experience in Saudi Arabia or the GCC is highly desirable, particularly within luxury hospitality, religious tourism or other complex, high-demand hospitality markets.
• Familiarity with Accor brands, brand governance frameworks, loyalty programs and relevant corporate marketing systems is an advantage.

Key Competencies

• Strategic marketing leadership and portfolio management

• Luxury brand positioning and brand stewardship
• Public relations, corporate communications and media engagement
• Crisis communications and reputation management
• KPI ownership, performance reporting and data-driven decision-making
• Commercial awareness and marketing ROI optimization
• Digital marketing, content strategy and audience engagement
• Budget management and resource allocation
• Executive stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration
• Team leadership, performance management, coaching and talent development
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity to the Saudi market

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