Dubai to hit tourism targets earlier than planned, says Bin Sulayem

Addressing the Cityscape conference, which this year has attracted over 400 delegates, Sultan Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Palm Island developers Nakheel, said the sheer demand for beach hotel rooms in Dubai had sparked the building of the Palm islands.

'In the early 90s, Dubai attracted some 30,000 tourists - this year we will achieve 5 million tourists,' Bin Sulayem said. 'Our new target was to reach 15 million tourists by 2015 but at the pace we are going, we will achieve that by 2010, if not 2008.

'However, studies show that with this target, Dubai will need 25,000 hotel rooms on the beach -today it has 4,000 hotels rooms on the shore. Hence projects such as the Palm. When complete, the Palm Islands will add another 15,000 beachside hotel rooms.'

Bin Sulayem said Dubai was not overbuilding, it was merely responding to demand.

'We also are witnessing demand for timeshare in Dubai but I believe we need some legal structure to operate this. We do not want to just let anyone in to build and operate timeshare - we have to ensure Dubai's credibility is safeguarded,' he said.

Bin Sulayem also said Dubai would increasingly see the emergence of small satellite communities, such as The Gardens in Jebel Ali, where reasonably-priced housing would be provided closer to where people work.

'This is just one way in which we will tackle traffic congestion,' he said.

Bin Sulayem said The Gardens, at Jebel Ali, had been hugely successful with all the leaseable property, 4,000 units, now rented out.

'We will need these satellites to accommodate those who will work in the new developments - those who will work on the Palm Islands, for instance,' he said.

Later in welcoming delegates to Cityscape, which is organised by IIR Exhibitions and Conferences, Salem Bin Dasmal, Deputy Director General of the Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA), said many more major projects are due to be announced shortly.

And Bin Dasmal said in the design of all the projects Dubai was looking to achieve a correct mix of tradition and modernity.

Over 60 companies from 30 countries are exhibiting in Cityscape, which runs until October 20. The show was opened today (Saturday) by Saeed Hussain Al Muntafiq, Director General of the DDIA who said real estate opportunities in Dubai are receiving an excellent response.

'The facts speak for themselves with over 70 percent of the opportunities on both The Palm Islands and at Jumeirah Beach Residence having already been taken up,' said Muntafiq.