Why Hotel Contracts Now Span Hundreds of Pages | Hotel Management Agreement | FHS 2026 | Elias Hayek
Exclusive interview with Elias Hayek, Co-Chair of the Middle East and European Hospitality Group at Greenberg Traurig, at FHS 2026 Dubai. Key Highlights: 1. Elias Hayek describes hotel management agreements as "roadmaps" that govern the 25- to 30-year relationship between hotels and brands. 2. Attending FHS for over 20 years, he notes this year's turnout and energy are phenomenal, reflecting the region's recovery following recent geopolitical uncertainty. 3. The brief pause in project activity caused by geopolitical issues has lifted, project announcements have resumed and investor/developer inquiries are as strong as prior years. 4. Hotel management agreements have evolved dramatically over 30 years, growing from single 30-page documents into suites of agreements totaling 350–400+ pages. 5. This complexity reflects a long-term, joint-venture-style relationship rather than a zero-sum negotiation, with every clause designed to account for known and unlikely eventualities over decades. 6. On Saudi Arabia's giga-projects, Elias explains the complex legal hurdles developers face when partnering with global mega brands, particularly around mixed-use developments on interrelated land parcels (stratification subdivision). 7. Saudi real estate law is still catching up with the realities of these master developments, covering owners' association structures, voting rights, and the application of brand standards to residential and common areas. 8. Saudi Arabia's regulatory real estate authority has issued a white paper, incorporating input from law firms and industry stakeholders, aimed at aligning local law with international mixed-use development practices. 9. Elias remains optimistic that the regulatory framework and operating realities will align in the near term as authorities actively work to close these gaps. About Travel And Tour World: Travel And Tour World is a global travel media platform covering travel, tourism, hospitality, aviation, MICE, cruise, and luxury travel, with readership across 195 countries. :[hotel management agreements, Saudi giga projects, hospitality law, FHS 2026 Dubai, GCC hospitality, mixed-use development, evolution of hotel management agreements, Saudi giga project legal challenges, branded residences legal architecture GCC, real estate law Saudi Arabia mixed-use projects, stratification subdivision Saudi real estate, hotel brand standards owners association] #FHS2026 #HotelManagementAgreements #SaudiGigaProjects #HospitalityLaw #GreenbergTraurig #GCCHospitality #BrandedResidences #TravelAndTourWorld