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The MICHELIN Guide has officially unveiled its 2026 list of MICHELIN Key hotels in Saudi Arabia, featuring 17 awarded properties alongside 37 selected destinations. The global hospitality guide expanded its Middle East footprint across Riyadh, Jeddah, AlUla, and the Red Sea coast as part of a wider international rollout.
Saudi Arabia now holds 13 One Key, three Two Key, and one Three Key properties in the global catalog. This announcement supports ongoing tourism initiatives, marking significant expansion across the Kingdom’s diverse travel destinations.
Distribution of MICHELIN Key Hotels in the Kingdom
Desert Rock Resort on the Red Sea coast stands as the only property in Saudi Arabia to receive Three Keys in the 2026 ranking. The hotel also secured the MICHELIN Guide Architecture & Design Award for 2026 for its physical structure built into the Hijaz Mountains.
Three resorts earned Two Keys, including Six Senses Southern Dunes, Shebara Resort, and Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. In Riyadh, four properties attained One Key recognition: Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, Bab Samhan in Diriyah, The St. Regis Riyadh, and Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah.
Key Designations Across Jeddah, AlUla, and the Red Sea
Jeddah recorded four One Key selections, including SHIRVAN Hotel City Yard, Waldorf Astoria Jeddah Qasr Al Sharq, Assila, and The Jeddah EDITION. AlUla registered three One Key locations: Banyan Tree AlUla, Dar Tantora The House Hotel, and The Chedi Hegra.
On the Red Sea coast, The St. Regis Red Sea Resort and The Red Sea EDITION in Ḩanak both received One Key status. These additions reflect notable growth within the national economy and regional hospitality market.
Global and Regional Context for the 2026 Guide
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide, noted the momentum across the global accommodation sector during the announcement.
“With 470 newly distinguished establishments, we are witnessing a continuous upscaling of the offering, driven by even more creative and ambitious projects. All around the world, hoteliers are reinventing the stay experience through more immersive, personalized, and experiential concepts.”
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide
Across Asia and the Middle East, the guide now lists 600 awarded properties, including 34 Three Key hotels and entries from new markets such as Kazakhstan and Armenia. In total, the worldwide database spans more than 9,400 hotels, with 2,832 holding Key distinctions across 79 countries.
MICHELIN Key Criteria and Hospitality Standards
The evaluation system relies on anonymous inspectors reviewing independent boutique venues, historic sites, and remote retreats worldwide. One Key denotes a very special stay, Two Keys indicate an exceptional stay, and Three Keys signify an extraordinary stay.
