Arab News | Michelin Guide names 17 Saudi hotels in 2026 Key selection

DUBAI: The Michelin Guide has unveiled its 2026 hotel selection for Saudi Arabia, featuring 54 properties across Riyadh, Jeddah, AlUla and the Red Sea coast.

The selection includes 37 hotels recommended by the guide and 17 properties awarded Michelin Keys, the distinction given to hotels judged to offer exceptional stays.

Of the 17 Key hotels in Saudi Arabia, 13 received One Michelin Key, three were awarded Two Michelin Keys and one received the top Three Michelin Key distinction.

Desert Rock Resort is the only Saudi property to receive Three Michelin Keys this year. The resort, located in the Hijaz Mountains, was also named the recipient of the Michelin Guide Architecture & Design Award for 2026, in recognition of its design, which is integrated into the surrounding landscape.

Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, Shebara Resort and Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, each received Two Michelin Keys.

The 2026 selection comes as Saudi Arabia continues to expand its luxury hospitality offering, with new destinations and resorts opening across the kingdom.

Globally, the Michelin Guide’s second hotel selection includes 470 newly distinguished properties.

In a released statement, Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, said: “This second global selection of the Michelin Keys reflects the extraordinary momentum driving the hospitality sector once again this year. With 470 newly distinguished establishments, we are witnessing a continuous upscaling of the offering, driven by even more creative and ambitious projects.”

The international selection now features more than 9,400 hotels, including 2,832 hotels awarded a MICHELIN Key: 155 Three MICHELIN Keys, 657 Two MICHELIN Keys and 2,020 One MICHELIN Key hotels. More than 2,200 hotels have been added to the global selection since last year’s MICHELIN Key inauguration celebration in Paris in October 2025.

The candidates are assessed by Michelin Guide inspectors based on five criteria: excellence in interior design and architecture; quality and consistency in service, comfort and maintenance; consistency between the level of experience and the price paid; uniqueness, personality and authenticity; and whether the hotel was a gateway to a destination.