Jabal Omar’s off-plan hotel sales to boost 2019 financials: CEO

Jabal Omar Development Co. (JODC) expects the off-plan hotel unit sales to reflect positively on fiscal year (FY) 2019 financial results, Al Arabiya TV reported, citing the company’s CEO Yasser Al-Sharif.

“Off-plan sales had a limited impact on FY18 financials, as they concentrated in December 2018,” Al-Sharif said, adding that demand was still strong.

Last December, the company obtained the initial licensing to sell 741 off-plan hotel units in the third phase of Jabal Omar Address Makkah project.

When asked about 2018 results, Al-Sharif indicated that JODC turned to profit after sustaining SAR 600.96 million losses in 2017.

Last year’s revenue increased by nearly SAR 243 million, including investment returns in Alinma Equity Fund, which is 13 percent owned by the company, in addition to its stake in the National Central Cooling Co. (Tabreed).

“We will focus on delivering hotels and residential units, and we will announce new openings soon,” Al-Sharif noted, adding that, “higher number of hajiis and pilgrims is expected to boost the company’s performance due to the increasing demand for hotels, shopping malls and residential units.”

JODC reported a net profit after zakat and tax of SAR 193.78 million for FY18, versus net losses of SAR 600.96 million in year-earlier period, Argaam reported.