Key 2017 openings include Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas in Abu Dhabi and The Cove Rotana Resort �" Extension in Ras Al Khaimah and Rotana is off to a strong start in 2017 �" with its hotels in the region recording a 4.8% increase in average occupancy rates in Q1 2017.

Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region with hotels across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, will showcase its key upcoming properties at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2017, the region’s premier travel and tourism event which takes place in Dubai from 24 �" 27 April.
Rotana is preparing to open 17 new properties before the end of 2018, adding more than 4,500 keys to the company’s existing room count.

Pearl Rotana, Capital Centre - Abu Dhabi:

Key Rotana properties that will be on display at the high-profile exhibition includes Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas - a luxurious five-star hotel in Abu Dhabi set to open in the fourth quarter of 2017 on Saadiyat Beach. Featuring 354 upscale rooms and suites in addition to 13 private beach villas, the luxury resort will be the 15th Rotana property to open in the capital of the UAE.

Visitors to the Rotana stand at ATM 2017 will also receive a glimpse into the traditional charm of The Cove Rotana Resort, a spectacular property located on an idyllic water inlet on the Ras Al Khaimah beachfront. Currently undergoing large-scale refurbishment, the Extension is due to open its doors in Q2 2017.

Rotana is looking to use the ATM platform as an opportunity to build on its strong start to the year, with its hotels in the region showing a 4.8% increase in average occupancy rates during the first quarter of 2017, as compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Rotana hotels in the UAE witnessed a 3.1% growth in occupancy year-on-year, with Dubai up by 3.7%, Abu Dhabi recording a marginal increase of 0.9% while the Northern Emirates region grew the fastest at 9.3%.

Omer Kaddouri, President & CEO, Rotana (Right), said, “2017 is an important year for Rotana as it marks the 25th anniversary of the company’s founding. The year also holds immense strategic significance as far as Rotana’s future direction and growth is concerned, as it heralds our entry into new geographic markets as well as our continued expansion in our stronghold markets, with a number of openings lined up for the last three quarters of 2017. We are hoping to keep our momentum going with a strong participation in ATM 2017, where we will be showcasing our upcoming hotels.”

“Rotana is today firmly positioned as the leading hotel management company in the region, with an operating portfolio of 56 properties and more than 15,000 rooms across all markets. We are currently one of the largest hotel operators in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Bahrain, and our ongoing expansion means we are on track to becoming the dominant player in several more markets in the region,” he concluded.

Rotana recently made its long-awaited debut in Africa with the opening of the five-star Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Africa is a key focus market for Rotana and the company currently has a number of projects under various stages of development across the continent including Marrakesh, Luanda, Nouakchott, Dar es Salaam and Lagos.

Rotana is also looking to strengthen its presence in Turkey by adding two more hotels in Istanbul. With the scheduled opening of the inter-connected properties under “Centro by Rotana” and “Arjaan hotel apartments by Rotana” brands in Q4 2017, the company will add a combined 305 rooms to its inventory while taking its total number of operating properties in Turkey to four hotels.

Even as it pushes into new markets and keeps extending its geographical reach, Rotana continues with its aggressive expansion plans in the GCC, with a total of four new hotels set to open in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this year alone �" adding 888 keys to the company’s existing supply of 969 rooms in the Kingdom �" and two hotels to open in Qatar by 2019.

In the coming two years, Rotana will open six properties in its home market of UAE, where the hospitality industry is projected to sustain its steady upward trajectory despite global challenges, with both Dubai and Abu Dhabi set to witness an increase in visitor numbers.

Leisure travellers are expected to account for a 60% share of total visitor arrivals in Dubai in 2017, with business travellers making up the remaining 40%, while the comparative ratio for Abu Dhabi is projected at 60% business travellers vs. 40% leisure travellers.

Rotana has been aggressively reaching out to new markets such as Poland and the Czech Republic to support the leisure segment in the UAE.

Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas - Abu Dhabi:

Golden Group Holding signs agreement with Rotana at Arabian Travel Market 2017

• Rotana will manage the Oman-based group’s upcoming property located in Muscat’s Al Mouj development
• 9 new Rotana properties will open in Oman by 2020 �" adding over 1,600 keys to the Sultanate’s current supply of hotel rooms

Rotana signed a management agreement with Golden Group Holding (GGH), a diversified Oman-based business group with interests in real estate, hospitality, construction, logistics and oil and gas, for a new hotel project in Muscat, Oman.

The agreement was signed by Nasser Al Nowais, Chairman of Rotana, and Sheikh Salim bin Ahmed Al Ghazali, Chairman of Golden Group Holding, at a ceremony held on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2017, the region’s premier travel and tourism event taking place in Dubai from 24 �" 27 April 2017 (below).

The signing ceremony was held in the presence of H.E. Maitha Al Mahrouqi, Undersecretary, Oman Ministry of Tourism, H.E. Dr. Khalid Said Al Jaradi, the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the United Arab Emirates, H.E. Shaikh Salem Samhan Al Kathiry, Manager of the Commercial Office of Sultanate of Oman in Dubai, and senior executives from both Rotana and GGH.

The new hotel �" named Al Mouj Rayhaan by Rotana �" will be located within the landmark Al Mouj development, an integrated tourist complex spread along a stunning 6-km stretch of Muscat’s coastline and comprising a mix of hotels, luxury residential properties, retail and dining facilities and a private yachting hub in addition to Oman’s only signature PGA-standard 18-hole links golf course, designed by legendary golfer Greg Norman.

Al Mouj Rayhaan by Rotana will feature 250 beautifully appointed rooms, suites and apartments along with world-class amenities and services. Located in a prime sea front location designed to meet diverse guest needs, the property is scheduled to open before 2020.

The management agreement for Al Mouj Rayhaan by Rotana further strengthens the strategic relationship between Rotana and GGH; the two companies had earlier in 2015 signed an agreement for the development of five new hotels in Oman.

“The agreement marks the continuation of our valued partnership with GGH,” said Nasser Al Nowais, Chairman of Rotana. “As one of the fastest growing tourism and hospitality markets in the region, Oman has everything going for it �" from a rich history and spectacular landscapes to an increasingly diverse mix of top-class tourist attractions. Rotana has ambitious plans for the Oman market, with no less than nine hotels set to open in the Sultanate by 2020, and we are delighted to have a company of the stature, reputation and financial strength of GGH as a key strategic partner in our efforts to transform Oman’s hospitality landscape and continue our company’s expansion in the region.”

“Once complete, Rotana’s upcoming properties in Oman will add more than 1,600 keys to our existing inventory of 400 rooms in the Sultanate, bringing the total tally to over 2,000 rooms. More importantly, these projects will bring significant economic benefits for Oman and create hundreds of new jobs for Omani nationals, while providing a new level of guest experience to visitors to the Sultanate,” Al Nowais concluded.

Inbound tourism to the Sultanate rose by an average of 7.4% per annum in the decade beginning 2005, and the Oman government has outlined plans to attract 1.4 million international visitors annually by 2019, up from 1.1 million in 2015. Rotana is seeking to capitalize on the opportunities created by Oman’s renewed focus on developing its tourism and hospitality sector.

On this occasion, Sheikh Salim bin Ahmed Al Ghazali, Chairman of GGH, said, “We are happy to further strengthen our strategic alliance with Rotana, and the event we are witnessing today confirms our commitment to investing in Oman’s tourism industry and to contributing actively to the plan developed by the government to increase the share of the tourism sector in the country’s GDP.”

“GGH’s investment in Rotana hotels coincides with the opening of the new Salalah International Airport and the final stage of completion of the Muscat International Airport, which will significantly increase the number of flights coming to Oman. Rotana is one of the most renowned hotel management companies in the region and our strategic collaboration with them will ensure that our hotels maintain the highest quality and service standards,” he added.

The tourism sector is expected to play an important role in driving economic development in Oman over the next years. Recognizing the economic importance of the tourism and hospitality sector, the Government of Oman is making significant investments in developing its tourism infrastructure and there are currently a number of major tourism projects underway across various parts of the country. Tourism is also identified by the National Program for Enhancing Economic Diversification (Tanfeedh) as a core pillar in promoting diversified economic development.

Sheikh Salim said, “GGH is developing multiple hospitality, mixed-use and master developments in line with the government’s diversification strategy and cooperates with the government to accomplish a variety of tourism projects throughout Oman to enhance the Sultanate’s position in the tourism sector. GGH, with its subsidiaries Taameer Investment and Al Sedrah Real Estate, is considered among the leading real estate investment companies in the Sultanate of Oman and currently has 13 hotels in various stages of development - all managed by major international operators.”

In total, Rotana will open 12 new hotels in 2017, and five more in 2018. Property opening in Q2 2017 includes Erbil Arjaan by Rotana, Kurdistan, Iraq (168 keys). Those launching in Q3 2017 include: Centro Waha, Riyadh, KSA (290 keys); Sundus Rotana, Muscat, Oman (215 keys); Pearl Rotana, Abu Dhabi, UAE (315 keys); Centro Salama, Jeddah, KSA (189 keys), and Al Bandar Rotana and Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana, Dubai, UAE (280 keys). In Q4 2017, Rotana will be launching: Centro Istanbul and Arjaan Istanbul by Rotana, Istanbul, Turkey (305 keys); Centro Olaya, Riyadh, KSA (156 keys); Centro Corniche, Al Khobar, KSA (253 keys); Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas, Abu Dhabi, UAE (340 keys). This will be followed by five openings in 2018: Sulaymaniyah Rotana, Kurdistan, Iraq (240 keys); Rayhaan Imam Reza by Rotana, Mashhad, Iran (272 keys); Al Jaddaf Rotana in Dubai, UAE (338 keys), Sundus Arjaan by Rotana, Muscat, Oman (102 keys), and Beach Arjaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi, UAE (326 keys).