Rotana to add 12 new hotels in UAE by 2020
Leading hotel management company Rotana has announced plans to open 12 new hotels in the United Arab Emirates by the end of 2020.
The new properties will be comprised of seven new hotels in Dubai, four in Abu Dhabi and one in Ras Al Khaimah. Six will be five-star hotels, with the remaining properties comprising a mix of four and three-star hotels and hotel apartments.
On completion the new hotels will add 4,360 keys to Rotana’s existing inventory, taking its expanding UAE portfolio to 44 properties, including 21 in Dubai and 17 in Abu Dhabi, with a room inventory of 11,782 (6,682 in Dubai and 5,100 in Abu Dhabi).
The total value of the 12 upcoming properties managed by Rotana in the UAE is estimated at $1.7 billion (approx. £1.4 billion).
Omer Kaddouri, Rotana’s president and CEO, said: “The UAE is our home market and even as we pursue our global ambitions and expand our footprint into new geographic regions, the country continues to remain the fulcrum around which Rotana’s business strategy is developed and implemented.
“With us bringing to the local market 12 new properties within the next four years, we further express our commitment to supporting the UAE’s tourism ambitions and reaffirming our belief in the long-term prospects of the country’s hospitality industry.”
Saadiyat Rotana Resort
Five-star quality
Kaddouri said the company would be introducing a number of five-star properties to the market in 2017, including the Saadiyat Rotana Resort and villas in Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in Q4 2017. The resort is designed for both business and leisure travellers, with 354 upscale rooms and suites, 13 beach villas, a beach club and extensive conference facilities.
“Rotana already has a significant presence Abu Dhabi, and strengthening our portfolio with an additional four properties will allow us to further contribute to and capitalise on the Emirate’s expanding tourism and hospitality sector,” he added.
“While in Dubai, our seven upcoming properties will go a long way towards meeting the demand increase anticipated in the run-up to Expo 2020, and will help ramp up overall room capacity which is crucial to achieving the city’s ambitious tourism vision.”
Despite the challenging economic environment, the outlook for the hospitality sector in Dubai and Abu Dhabi remains positive. In previous UAE Real Estate 2016 mid-year market reviews, global consultancy firms listed the medium-to-long term outlook for the hospitality sector in Dubai and Abu Dhabi as positive, citing the opening of theme parks and new tourist attractions as the main factors driving demand.
