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Abu Dhabi on September 26
International hotels are planning to expand aggressively in the United Arab Emirates to benefit from the momentum of growth and tourism recovery that the country is witnessing, and its leading position on the tourism map regionally and globally, especially since the hotel occupancy rate in the country is among the highest in the world.
International hotel officials said, in statements to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, on the sidelines of the Future of Hospitality Summit 2023, held in the capital, Abu Dhabi, that the UAE, thanks to the vision of the wise leadership, has succeeded in developing its tourism policy and infrastructure in accordance with the best international practices, to become a sustainable destination for tourists from all over the world. The world thanks to its high-level hotel facilities and diverse tourist and heritage destinations, in addition to its security and stability, its strategic location, and its various activities, thus maintaining its regional and global leadership as a distinguished tourist destination that meets all tourist tastes.
The officials added that the UAE government has launched national initiatives and strategies to support the growth of the tourism sector, as it is a major contributor to the diversification of the national economy, and an important contributor to enhancing the UAE’s competitiveness on the global tourism map, in addition to pumping investments into many tourism fields, and building new tourism and entertainment projects in various emirates. State, and the inauguration of new airports, which confirms the efficiency of the sustainable tourism policies adopted by the Emirates.
The officials pointed to the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to consolidate the country’s position as one of the best tourist destinations in the world, and enhance its competitiveness by attracting 100 billion UAE dirhams in additional tourism investments, and doubling the number of tourists to 40 million, with an expected total contribution of 450 billion dirhams to the gross domestic product. Total by 2031.
According to official data, the tourism sector in the country achieved strong results last year, most notably hotel establishments receiving 25 million guests during 2022, a 30% increase over 2021, and increasing the number of tourist nights to 91 million nights during 2022, an 18% growth over 2021, and an increase Hotel establishment revenues will reach 38 billion dirhams during 2022, an increase of 35% compared to 2021, in addition to the hotel occupancy rate reaching 71% in the 1,198 hotel establishments.
Makram Al-Zeer, Vice President of Development at Rotana Hotel Management, said that the company is working to expand its presence in the UAE in particular and around the world in general as part of its plans to expand into new global markets, including the United Kingdom, through the opening of two new hotels, in addition to entering the market. Georgian to open a new hotel in 2026.
He added that over the past two years, Rotana has opened 3 hotels in the Emirates, while next year it is looking forward to opening a new hotel on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, which will include 217 hotel apartments, in light of the momentum of tourism growth that the country is witnessing and the high hotel occupancy rates, as it currently owns 36 hotels in the UAE, including 10,159 rooms, indicating that “Rotana” is working to expand its portfolio of projects and the scope of its operations through 30 new hotels within the next three years, which will add approximately 5,800 additional rooms to Rotana’s portfolio around the world.
Makram pointed out that it is looking forward to opening a new hotel in Al-Khobar in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a hotel in Manama in the Kingdom of Bahrain during the next year, in addition to its plans to expand its presence in Africa through a series of new projects scheduled to be implemented in 2024, including entering the Algerian market, in addition to opening a new hotel in Dakar, Senegal, by 2026, while Rotana is preparing to open a number of new hotels in the last quarter of this year in Doha, Qatar, and Istanbul, Turkey.
For his part, Siegfried Nerhus, Vice President for the Middle East at Deutsche Hospitality, said that the UAE has wise leadership that encourages the tourism and hotel sector to grow and prosper while providing a fertile environment for expansion and spread across the emirates of the country, thus becoming a global center for the tourism, hospitality and entertainment industry, pointing to the UAE. It has established itself as a preferred destination for business, tourism and leisure, which has contributed significantly to the influx of international tourists to take advantage of the dynamic offers and enjoy the unique attractions.
Nerhus added that the UAE embraces specialized tourism events such as the Future Hospitality Summit, which in turn provides an ideal opportunity to understand emerging regional trends and guest preferences, and to communicate and exchange ideas with stakeholders, noting that the country continues to launch initiatives and strategies that support the growth of the sector, and pump more investments that support growth and development.
He pointed out Deutsche Hospitality’s commitment to expanding its presence in and enriching its hotel portfolio in the country, as the possibility of developing our German hospitality brand with international H Group hotels and expanding into the Middle East region is currently being considered, with a greater focus on the United Arab Emirates.
For his part, Eli Melki, Vice President of Development for the Middle East, Greece, Cyprus and Pakistan, at the Radisson Hotel Group, said that the group has recently witnessed greater expansion in the UAE with the opening of a hotel on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, while the group is looking forward to greater expansion opportunities in the country, especially The UAE is a major market for the group.
Melki pointed out the importance of the national policies and initiatives taken by the UAE to support the growth of the tourism sector, making it a distinguished destination for tourists from all over the world, which reflects the country’s commitment to sustainable tourism and its global leadership in this field, noting that the UAE has pumped huge investments into tourism and hotel projects. Which contributed to significant growth in the sector.
Reda Abdel Nour/Rami Samih
