Tourism and Hospitality

Emaar reveals 'The Address'
Emaar Hospitality Group is planning to launch and operate its own five star premium global brand of hotels and resorts under the brand name, The Address Hotels & Resorts. The Address flagship hotels are set to open later this year in Downtown Burj Dubai and in Dubai Marina.
United Arab Emirates: Saturday, May 03 - 2008 at 14:16

Westin wins Abu Dhabi hotel
Tourism Development & Investment Company has appointed Westin Hotels & Resorts to manage its highly contemporary 146-room Westin Hotel, Golf & Spa, Abu Dhabi, said news reports. The hotel is due for completion by the end of 2009.
United Arab Emirates: Saturday, May 03 - 2008 at 09:50

Abu Dhabi National Hotels reports $37m profit
Abu Dhabi National Hotels has reported a net profit of Dhs136.4m ($37m) for the first quarter of 2008 compared with Dhs134.7m earned during the corresponding period in 2007. The financial report shows the operational profit increased by 10%. Non-operational profits went down due to the impact of the global economic situation that affected the securities portfolio both locally and internationally, the company said in a statement.
United Arab Emirates: Thursday, May 01 - 2008 at 12:19

IHG to develop $70m resort in Jordan
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with Sun Days International for Tourism Investment to develop a $70m luxury resort on the shores of Dead Sea in Jordan. Set to open in late 2012, the resort will offer 236 rooms, a private beach, and a nearby water park. IHG currently has five properties offering a total of 1509 rooms in Jordan, with an additional three properties offering 890 rooms in the development pipeline.
Jordan: Thursday, May 01 - 2008 at 10:19

ME tourism demands 1.5m staff by 2020
The Middle East tourism industry will require at least 1.5 million workers by the year 2020, according to organizers of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference, which takes place in Dubai on May 3-5. Jonathan Worsley, co-organizer of AHIC, said in a statement that 'staffing levels are one the biggest challenges facing the global industry'. InterContinental Hotels' Tom Mayer said that with the massive growth in the hotel industry in Dubai it has been hard to recruit talented local employees.
United Arab Emirates: Thursday, May 01 - 2008 at 08:31

Islamic travel market on the rise
The Islamic hospitality market is forecast to be one of the fastest growing hospitality segments, according to Jonathan Worsley, conference co-organiser of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference, which takes place in Dubai later this week. He noted that Dubai-based hospitality group Almulla Hospitality has recently launched its Sharia-compliant hotel portfolio, comprising three brand tiers. The group has also cited plans to target development in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Egypt and Malaysia in the first instance, with Thailand and Europe following closely behind. Almulla joins other UAE-based players including Shaza Hotels from Kempinski and Tamani Hotels & Suites from KM Group among others.
Wednesday, April 30 - 2008 at 08:16

Rocco Forte to expand in Gulf
The Rocco Forte Collection has signed agreements to manage two hotels in the Gulf, reported Bloomberg. The London-based firm has inked a contract with Saudi Arabia-based Mohammed al-Issa & Sons to manage a 159-room and 50-apartment hotel being built in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. When it opens in 2010, the Jeddah hotel is due to be Forte's second in the Middle East after a property in Abu Dhabi that opens in the same year.
United Arab Emirates: Tuesday, April 29 - 2008 at 13:47

Sharjah launches new brand identity
The UAE emirate of Sharjah has unveiled a new branding for its tourism industry - Brand Sharjah. Sharjah last year received 1.5 million visitors, up from 600,000 visitors in 2000. The hotel occupancy rate is up to 85% in all the emirate's hotels and hotel apartments. Further, the total number of hotels in Sharjah has increased to 96, substantially more than the 20 hotels in 2000, according to a statement.
United Arab Emirates: Tuesday, April 29 - 2008 at 09:22