Lagardère Travel Retail strengthens its Dining footprint in Saudi Arabia with new concepts at Madinah Airport

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Lagardère Travel Retail is strengthening its Dining footprint in Saudi Arabia with the opening of new concepts at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, further demonstrating the company’s continued investment in the Kingdom and its commitment to developing relevant and high-quality travel experiences.

Madinah is one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant cities, serving as a global spiritual destination for millions of pilgrims while playing an increasingly important role in the Kingdom’s tourism and economic diversification agenda.

Lagardère Travel Retail now operates 20 restaurants across three airports in Saudi Arabia – Riyadh, Dammam and Madinah. Its growing Dining portfolio combines the company’s own concepts with a diverse selection of regional and international partner brands, supported by strong local operational expertise. 

These developments further strengthen the longstanding relationship between Lagardère Travel Retail and Tibah Airports, the landlord and airport operator at Madinah. Following the launch of duty free operations in 2023, the partnership has progressively expanded to include Travel Essentials and, over the past year, Dining operations. This continued collaboration reflects a shared ambition to develop the airport’s commercial offer and enhance the passenger experience through relevant concepts, strong operational standards and a deep understanding of the local environment.

Marché: showcasing the strength of Lagardère Travel Retail’s own concepts

Marché at Madinah Airport brings the company’s own international food hall concept to the airport’s international passenger environment, with a proposition tailored to the location. The 52-seat food hall is organised around a linear counter with four distinct culinary corners: Italian, Indian (including a wide vegetarian offer), Lebanese, and coffee & grab-and-go. The offer combines familiar international choices with regional favourites including hummus, shawarma, falafel, mana’eesh and shakshuka, alongside touches such as karak tea.

The concept demonstrates the strength and versatility of Lagardère Travel Retail’s own Dining concepts, which can be adapted to different markets while retaining their distinctive identities. At Madinah, Marché’s souk-inspired design uses warm, sandy tones and displays of produce to create a sense of place suited to the airport’s diverse international clientele. 

The offer also reflects Lagardère Travel Retail’s focus on fresh preparation and responsible sourcing, with a broad selection of vegetarian and vegan options and food prepared on site. These efforts form part of the company’s PEPS – Planet, Ethics, People and Social – strategy, which aims to embed more responsible practices across its operations. At Marché, this includes a focus on reducing single-use plastics and increasing the use of recyclable alternatives, while continuing to explore practical ways to make the customer experience more responsible.

Sawa: bringing a distinctive regional concept to Madinah

The 225m2 Sawa restaurant further strengthens Lagardère Travel Retail’s regional Dining offer. The concept, which is part of the company’s regional portfolio, now operates across Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with four restaurants in Saudi Arabia – two in Riyadh, one in Dammam and one in Madinah – and two locations in Dubai.

Sawa reflects Lagardère Travel Retail’s regional expertise and ability to develop concepts that respond to local tastes and travel environments. Its offer brings together Lebanese and Middle Eastern favourites, from mezze and mana’eesh to shawarma, grilled dishes and wraps, alongside a variety of Lebanese rice dishes, offering a regional alternative to traditional favourites such as Saudi Arabia’s much-loved kabsa. The wide choice of dishes is complemented by an extensive coffee and beverage range.

Sawa also brings a distinctive visual identity to Madinah Airport’s international arrivals area. Its colourful and contemporary design combines modern elements with references to the region’s culinary culture, creating an eye-catching and welcoming destination for arriving passengers. Beyond its customer-facing proposition, the Madinah Sawa also plays a wider operational role, with its expanded kitchen serving as a central production kitchen supporting several Dining brands at the airport, including Marché, So! Coffee and Trib’s. This model enables Lagardère Travel Retail to combine a diverse 
customer offer with operational efficiency across its airport portfolio.

Vincent Romet, COO France & Luxembourg & COO, MEA & Asia, Lagardère Travel Retail, commented: “Saudi Arabia is a vital market for Lagardère Travel Retail, and we are pleased to see our Dining activities continue to take shape across Riyadh, Dammam and Madinah. These openings reflect the strength of our local teams and our ability to combine our international expertise with a strong understanding of each location. By adapting our concepts, offers and operating models to local environments, we aim to provide relevant and enjoyable experiences for travellers while continuing to support our partners and our operations in the Kingdom.”

Mélanie Guilldou, CEO, Lagardère Travel Retail Saudi Arabia, added: “Marché and Sawa are representative of the approach we are taking in Saudi Arabia: developing a diverse Dining portfolio while ensuring that each concept is relevant to its environment and to the passengers we serve. We are particularly proud of the work of our local teams, who combine operational agility with a strong understanding of the market. These openings are another step in our ongoing work with our airport partners to enhance the passenger experience.”

These latest openings build on Lagardère Travel Retail’s broader activities in Saudi Arabia across Travel Essentials, Duty Free & Fashion and Dining, reflecting its commitment to supporting the evolution of the Kingdom’s travel retail and airport environments.