Hilton expects to open almost 100 hotels in the region in the next five years, mainly in markets such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt. In a statement Hilton said that the openings equate to a $9bn investment by Hilton’s development partners.
The investment includes the following four new signings: Hampton by Hilton Kuwait Salmiya (111 rooms), management agreement signed with Alshaya and expected to open in 2022; Canopy by Hilton Al Khobar the Avenues (200 rooms), signed with Shomoul Holding Company and expected to open in 2023; Embassy Suites by Hilton Dubai Business Bay (99 rooms), management agreement signed with Kingston Holdings and is expected to open in 2022; Hilton Garden Inn Dubai Business Bay (234 rooms), signed with Kingston Holdings with an expected 2022 open date.
In a statement, Hilton said that its portfolio of brands, its organic growth strategy, and working with local development partners will see the company almost double in size in the UAE and quadruple in size in Saudi Arabia throughout the next five years, bringing Hilton’s portfolio to almost 50 hotels in each of these key markets.
Speaking ahead of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president development EMEA, Hilton, said: “As Hilton enters its 100th year, we have almost 30,000 rooms in our MENA pipeline and have recently announced deals that will see us introduce our lifestyle brand Canopy by Hilton to KSA, as well as Embassy Suites by Hilton to the region. The addition of 100 hotels will create genuine value for the economy with some 25,000 new jobs across these hotels as they open in the coming years.”
In a statement, Hilton said that it has seen significant demand in MENA for its mid-market brands, including Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton, with 25 hotels representing these two brands in its existing development pipeline. The statement highlighted how this is in keeping with goals from regional governments, including Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 which is focused on achieving 30 million visitor arrivals to the country by 2030.
Hilton’s pipeline includes its recently announced four-hotel deal with Shomoul for Avenues – Riyadh which will include a Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and Hilton Garden Inn, as well as debuting its lifestyle Canopy by Hilton brand. This development alone will add 1,400 rooms to Saudi Arabia where Hilton has its largest development pipeline in the MENA region.
In addition to this, Hilton will also open a Waldorf Astoria in Dubai later this year, and will continue to grow its strong presence in Ras Al Khaimah with three new properties in its pipeline for the emirate, including a Conrad, Hampton by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton Residence.
Hilton will continue to open additional hotels across the Middle East and in key locations in North Africa, including Egypt, as well as a signature resort in Morocco when Hilton Tangier Al Houara Resort & Spa opens later this month.
Source: www.hoteliermiddleeast.com
