Tourism and Hospitality

Nakheel plans whale-shaped island
Nakheel has unveiled a range of projects planned to bolster its entertainment portfolio, including an island in the shape of Sea World mascot Shamu the killer whale. The Worlds of Discovery development will be built off Palm Jebel Ali and will include Sea World, Aquatica and Busch Gardens. The first park in the project is scheduled to open in 2012.
United Arab Emirates: Tuesday, May 06 - 2008 at 15:07

Meridien plans $2m beach upgrade
Le Meridien Al Aqah in the UAE emirate of Fujairah is investing $2m to rejuvenate and redesign the hotel's beach shoreline. The move was prompted in part by the effects of Cyclone Gonu in June 2007, the company said in a statement issued at the Arabian Travel Market 2008. The makeover will include the region's first hi-tech beach umbrellas featuring wi-fi call buttons for instant waiter service.
United Arab Emirates: Tuesday, May 06 - 2008 at 13:13

MGM Mirage to launch in Dubai
US hospitality company MGM Mirage has entered into an agreement with Dubai World to launch a mixed use destination resort in the emirate. According to a Gulf News report possible locations include the Palm developments. MGM is already launching a $3bn resort in the UAE's capital in a joint venture with Mubadala.
United Arab Emirates: Tuesday, May 06 - 2008 at 08:22

Abu Dhabi hotel rooms to double
Abu Dhabi plans to have over 25,000 hotel rooms by 2012, up from the current 10,000. Property developer Aldar is planning to launch an extra 40 mixed use hotels over the next six years as part of the emirate's strategy to attract an increased share of the tourist market.
United Arab Emirates: Monday, May 05 - 2008 at 08:54

Dubai is hot market for economy hotels
After establishing itself as a top luxury destination, Dubai is now becoming a strong market for economy hotels, said Yann Cailliere, COO of Accor Hospitality for France, Southern Europe, & MEA. Dubai has taken about five years to develop into a market for economy hotels, he noted, whereas it normally takes fifteen years for an emerging market to reach this stage. Accor currently has 21 hotels in the region, and plans to increase that figure to 70 by 2012.
United Arab Emirates: Sunday, May 04 - 2008 at 14:57

ME to see $3.63tr in investment
The Middle East will see $3.63tr in investment in travel and tourism by 2020, said Gerald Lawless, Executive Chairman of Jumeirah Group. Speaking to attendees at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai, Lawless added that by the same year the region will also have built 850 new hotels, added 750,000 more rooms, and developed the capacity for an extra 320 million airline passengers. One of the biggest challenges of dealing with all that growth will be finding qualified staff, and the industry should seek to address this need by training locals in each country. Guests like to see local people working at hotels because it provides a more authentic feel, he said, but more needs to be done to educate and train the local workforce to give them the skills they need.
United Arab Emirates: Sunday, May 04 - 2008 at 14:36

Correction is possible in ME hotel market
The Middle East hotel industry is currently booming, but there could be a correction in 2009 and 2010 when hotel supply nears its peak and if consumers in the US and Europe are still limiting their travel because of the economic downturn, according to Arthur de Haast, CEO of Jones Lang Lasalle Hotels, who was speaking at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai. He said overcapacity in the Middle East hotel market should not be an issue of major concern, because 'all developing markets have a period where supply exceeds demand,' and a slight correction for a short period of time is common.
Sunday, May 04 - 2008 at 14:11

Accor aims 90 hotels in Mideast
Accor Hospitality said it is targeting 90 hotels opened by 2011 in the Middle East. Accor is planning to introduce two new brands in the region, the Pullman chain of upscale non standardised hotels and Suitehotel, their latest midscale brand of personalised hotel living.
United Arab Emirates: Sunday, May 04 - 2008 at 09:22