Six of the UAE hotels are scheduled to open in 2017, top company executive says
Dubai: Rezidor, part of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, plans to open 14 hotels in the UAE by 2019, with six expected to open next year, according to a top company executive.
“In the UAE, we have 10 hotels in operation and 14 under development,” Elie Younes, executive vice-president & chief development officer of the Rezidor Hotel Group, told Gulf News by phone on Wednesday.
Three of the six UAE hotels will open in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah between 2017 and 2018. The Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Waterfront and Park Inn by Radisson Resort Ras Al Khaimah Marjan Island are scheduled to open by the second quarter of 2017. Nash’at Farhan Awad Sahawneh is the owner of the Dubai property and Stallion Properties owns the hotel in Ras Al Khaimah, the company said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Canal View, also owned by Nash’at Farhan Awad Sahawneh, is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2018.
Globally, Carlson Rezidor has 1,400 hotels with more than 220,000 rooms in operation and under development. In the Middle East, its portfolio includes 37 hotels in operation and 41 under development.
“The majority of pipeline are located between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Between 70 and 80 per cent of pipeline is under construction,” Younes said.
Rezidor will focus on expanding the mid-scale Park Inn by Radisson, lifestyle Radisson RED and the luxury Quorvus Collection brands in the region, he said, adding that the majority of signings in the next two years will be for those three brands. “They will make good contribution to the market,” Younes said.
The company is in discussions for another dozen hotels in the region. “A good percentage of that should materialise in the next 12 months,” Younes said.
Besides Dubai, Rezidor is eyeing projects in Abu Dhabi (UAE), Doha (Qatar), as well as in Makkah and Madinah (Saudi Arabia).
The company is also interested in expanding into Iran, but there are no plans at present, according to Younes.
“The biggest opportunity lies in Iran. We are waiting for the sanctions to be officially lifted so we have a chance to go in and expand our business with local partners,” he said.
In January, the international community lifted nuclear-related sanctions in Iran. However, other sanctions such as those related to terrorism and human rights abuse remain imposed.
The US also continues to impose sanctions that block Iran from accessing its financial system and dollar transactions.
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