Job Description

Provide strategic leadership, direction, and oversight for the Ala Khotah Project, ensuring its successful development, operations, and commercial performance in alignment with Sela’s objectives and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 tourism and cultural agenda. The Project Director acts as the primary point of contact with key government entities (General Entertainment Authority, Madinah Development Authority, Madinah Principality, Makkah Principality) and ensures that the project achieves its visitor, financial, and operational targets while preserving its cultural authenticity and world-class standards.

General Accountabilities:

• Lead the development and implementation of Ala Khotah’s strategic objectives to align with Sela’s long-term vision and national tourism/cultural goals.

• Own and drive the project’s P&L, ensuring financial sustainability, revenue growth, and cost efficiency.

• Report progress, challenges, and achievements to the Head of Destinations, providing insight-driven recommendations.

• Develop and enforce project-wide governance, processes, and policies covering facility operations, commercial activities, stakeholder engagement, and compliance.

• Direct the preparation of budgets, business plans, and feasibility studies, ensuring effective use of resources and alignment with growth targets.

• Ensure comprehensive reporting and data-driven decision-making, including visitor volumes, commercial KPIs, operational costs, and ROI.

• Lead, develop, and mentor Zone Managers and project staff, fostering a high-performance culture.

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Specific Accountabilities

Strategic & Government Alignment

Act as the primary representative of Ala Khotah with government entities including GEA, Madinah Development Authority, Madinah Principality, and Makkah Principality.

Secure permits, licenses, and approvals by coordinating with relevant stakeholders and ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks.

Build strong relationships with government and cultural institutions to preserve the authenticity and heritage integrity of the Hijrah Trail.

Align project operations with national tourism initiatives, sustainability goals, and regulatory requirements

Commercial & Financial Management

Own the full P&L of the project, ensuring revenue generation through F&B, retail, accommodations, experiences, and ticketing.

Oversee leasing and commercial property management activities, ensuring optimal tenant mix, high occupancy, and commercial performance.

Monitor financial and commercial KPIs across all zones, ensuring proactive corrective actions when needed.

Drive visitor growth strategies in collaboration with Marketing and Business Development teams.

Operational Oversight

Oversee Zone Managers (South, Central, North), ensuring each delivers daily operations, tenant engagement, and facility uptime to required standards.

Direct maintenance, logistics, and visitor service standards across the entire project.

Ensure health, safety, and environmental standards are consistently met across all facilities.

Monitor peak-season preparedness and off-season programming to ensure year-round relevance.

Development & Expansion

Lead expansion planning and phased rollouts of new facilities, experiences, and accommodations.

Evaluate investment opportunities and business cases for future phases, in alignment with Sela’s growth targets.

Oversee major capital projects and renovations, ensuring delivery on time, on budget, and to quality standards.

About Sela

Founded in 1997 as Saudi Arabia’s first FIFA-recognised player representation company, Sela has grown to be a leading organisation specialising in the sport, entertainment, culture, leisure and hospitality industries. Across these sectors, the company conceives and delivers spectacular experiences and creates iconic destinations that millions of people enjoy each year. For more than 25 years, Sela has been proud to partner with some of the world’s best- known brands to offer event management services and curate experiential moments that build engagement and connect with audiences. Within the sports marketing and commercial arena, Sela negotiated sponsorship deals for the majority of top-class Saudi Arabian football clubs and led the commercial and operational arm of the Saudi Premier League. The company has since expanded and has worked with major sports properties, including Formula E, SuperCoppa, Supercopa de España, World Wrestling Entertainment, World Boxing Super Series, and the World Chess Championships. As the company accelerates its growth and international expansion plans, Sela’s team of dedicated experts provide end-to-end solutions, from master planning to engineering; concept development, audio, video, visualisation; research and patenting; and creating and monetising a brands and IPs. The company has built and put together stunning destinations and events with highly experienced professionals who handle all aspects of operations and management to make the visitor experience unforgettable. Sela’s experiences have welcomed more than 40 million visitors. Its experiential excellence includes Jeddah Superdome – the world’s largest geodesic dome; Boulevard Riyadh City – the biggest entertainment hub in Saudi Arabia; Boulevard World – with its 10 global zones; as well as Via Riyadh, the city's newest luxury multipurpose venue and the stunning Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina.