Hilton International announces appointment and opening of Hilton Doha

The 320-room property will be the first Hilton hotel in Qatar and will be operated on behalf of New Doha Hotel Company.

"The Middle East region is experiencing strong growth, both as a business and leisure destination, and we are pleased to be opening Hilton Doha as the country is developing rapidly," said Rudi Jagersbacher, Vice President - Arabian Peninsula, Hilton International, at the company's press conference, held on December 8, 2003.

"Qatar shows enormous potential with the commercial opportunities of the largest non-associated gas field and 3rd largest natural gas reserves in the world. Qatar has a thriving banking industry and is an important regional conference centre. Doha in particular, has a rich mix of Arabic culture and heritage plus new metropolitan shopping, leisure and entertainment attractions which has stimulated tourism growth of 32% annually" added Jagersbacher.

Hilton had earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding with New Doha Hotel Company on behalf of the hotel's owner and Nadir Badruddin - Managing Director and partner, to build the US$ 60 million development in the upmarket Al Dafnah district on the prestigious Corniche. The development team consists of: Project Management: Hamarain Project Management (HPM), Architects and Consultants: Crang and Boake, Consultants: Sabex Engineering.

Hilton Doha will comprise two floors of public areas together with a 20-floor guestroom tower, with all guestrooms featuring sea views of the Gulf. The hotel's facilities will include a dedicated conference wing with meeting rooms and a ballroom, three restaurants, extensive leisure, fitness, recreation facilities and underground parking. The opening of Hilton Doha is scheduled for December 2005.

"Hilton has proven repeatedly that it can enter a market and create a landmark property that attracts both business and leisure travellers. We are pleased to be part of the Hilton family and look forward to the success of Hilton in Qatar," said Nadir Badruddin, Managing Director of New Doha Hotel Company.

In the past three years, Hilton's property portfolio has expanded considerably, with the opening of five new hotels in the Arabian Peninsula; Hilton Dubai Creek, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Hilton Ras Al Khaimah, Hilton Kuwait and Jeddah Hilton, plus the acquisition of Makkah Towers. The announcement of Hilton Doha is testimony to an ongoing strategy to be present in every major city in the Middle East.

"We are moving forward strongly and confidently with new projects across the Middle East and globally and we will utilise the strong hotel brands available in our portfolio to further broaden our offering to the market and expand our market share," concluded Jagersbacher.