Company Insights Rotana Hotels Tourism Latest Rotana Hotels DevelopmentsAI Insights Rotana Hotels is set to open the Pontus Rotana Resort & Spa in Gonio, Georgia in 2026. This resort will feature 600 keys and includes a grand casino. It will be developed with Pontus Capital1. The company plans to open eight new properties in Saudi Arabia by 2028, bringing its portfolio to 16 hotels with 4,400 keys in the kingdom. New developments include hotels in Riyadh, Al Khobar, Madinah and Al Baha2. Rotana Hotels expressed concerns over Egypt’s infrastructure, noting the need for improvements in airports to support tourism growth. The company operates the Grand Rotana Resort & Spa and plans to debut a new property in Cairo3. Rotana Hotels maintained that despite falling average daily rates in the UAE, revenue per available room increased by 5.6 percent last year, benefiting from post-pandemic rate increases5. A hotel previously operated by Rotana in Al Ain in the UAE will be rebranded under Marriott International’s Four Points by Sheraton4. Rotana Hotels Overview Rotana Hotel Management Corporation was established in 1992 by Nasser Al Nowais and Selim El Zyr. Starting in Abu Dhabi, it has grown into a premier hospitality brand across the Middle East, Africa, Balkans and Turkey. Rotana’s luxury hotel sub-brands include Rotana Hotels & Resorts, Centro Hotels, Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts, Arjaan Hotel Apartments, Edge by Rotana and The Residences by Rotana. Its Rose Rayhaan by Rotana in Dubai held the title of the world’s tallest hotel from 2009 to 2013. Rotana has evolved its brand to include the launch of the budget-friendly Centro hotels and serviced apartments and the Edge for mid-market stays. It also plans aggressive expansion in Saudi Arabia, aiming to double its rooms to more than 4,400 with nine new hotels in the kingdom. Rotana Hotels News Analysis Tourism UAE hotels hit by talent crunch as growth outpaces staffing UAE hoteliers are warning of an intensifying shortage of qualified staff as the country’s tourism sector expands. About 809,000 people were employed in hospitality and tourism in the Emirates in 2023 – more than 12 percent of the workforce, according to the latest government data. But relatively high staff turnover and limited investment in training […] May 28, 2025 Analysis Leisure & Hospitality UAE hotels absorb rising costs at expense of profit Many UAE hoteliers are reluctant to raise prices to compensate for rising operational costs, even as intensifying global competition and geopolitical volatility tighten profit margins. According to data from CBRE Middle East, growth in UAE hotel revenue per available room (RevPAR) has slowed over the last two years, from 6 percent in 2023 to 3 […] May 5, 2025 Tourism Hilton says Middle East expansion will add 35,000 jobs Hotel group Hilton’s expansion plans in the Middle East will create 35,000 jobs, its regional head has said. The US company will at least double its size in the region with 130 new properties, its Middle East and Africa president, Guy Hutchinson, said. “We’re seeing this part of the world emerge as a thought and […] November 21, 2024 Analysis Leisure & Hospitality Infrastructure needed to support Egypt’s tourism ambitions Regional and international hotel operators are keen to expand in Egypt, but the country needs to improve infrastructure such as airports to support its tourism ambitions, industry sources have said. Egypt aims to emulate the high-end hospitality and entertainment development that the UAE and other Gulf countries have pioneered, at the same time bringing in […] October 9, 2024 Opinion Food & Drink Our love for cheap imported food is costing us dearly The UAE is too dependent on food imports while about a third, worth $4 billion, is wasted October 4, 2024 Analysis Tourism Gulf hospitality industry shrugs off war concerns Middle East hospitality veterans downplayed concerns over wider regional tensions this week, saying the industry has survived crises before and is poised to do so again. Government officials and corporate executives spoke during the Future Hospitality Summit, which is taking place in Dubai this week, just as military action intensified in Israel, Lebanon and Iran, […] October 3, 2024 Exclusive Leisure & Hospitality Palazzo Versace auction tied to owner’s finances The auction of the Palazzo Versace Dubai hotel is directly tied to the property’s owner’s financial circumstances and is not a reflection of the hotel’s performance, an executive told AGBI. The hotel itself continues to perform strongly, said Monther Darwish, managing director of Palazzo Versace Dubai and chairman and founder of Palazzo Hospitality, which oversees […] July 18, 2024 Video length: 08:13 Analysis Tourism Event tourism the spur for economic growth in Bahrain Bahrain has affirmed the strategic importance of the Sakhir Sports City development in a growing focus on event-related tourism as a primary engine of economic growth. The project, near the country’s Formula 1 circuit, is slated for completion in 2025 and expected to cost more than BD100 million ($266 million). It will encompass a stadium […] July 18, 2024 Video length: 07:12 Analysis Leisure & Hospitality Hotel franchising model takes off in the Gulf Global hospitality brands are aggressively expanding across the Gulf, stepping up competition and giving disgruntled owners unprecedented freedom to choose how and by whom their hotels should be run. Some hotel owners are opting for franchising agreements and third-party management arrangements. “Operators have become more flexible when offering their brands under a franchise than they […] June 12, 2024 Video length: 07:12 Analysis Leisure & Hospitality UAE hotel rebrandings a sign of discontent in the sector Growing discontent among UAE hotel owners about the treatment they are receiving from operators has resulted in a wave of hospitality rebrandings. More than a dozen major hotels across the UAE have been reflagged in the past year. Emirati, Spanish and Chinese hotel brands have also disclosed plans to pursue the same strategy as part […] June 5, 2024 Posts navigation 1 2 … 4 Next
Analysis Tourism UAE hotels hit by talent crunch as growth outpaces staffing UAE hoteliers are warning of an intensifying shortage of qualified staff as the country’s tourism sector expands. About 809,000 people were employed in hospitality and tourism in the Emirates in 2023 – more than 12 percent of the workforce, according to the latest government data. But relatively high staff turnover and limited investment in training […] May 28, 2025
Analysis Leisure & Hospitality UAE hotels absorb rising costs at expense of profit Many UAE hoteliers are reluctant to raise prices to compensate for rising operational costs, even as intensifying global competition and geopolitical volatility tighten profit margins. According to data from CBRE Middle East, growth in UAE hotel revenue per available room (RevPAR) has slowed over the last two years, from 6 percent in 2023 to 3 […] May 5, 2025
Tourism Hilton says Middle East expansion will add 35,000 jobs Hotel group Hilton’s expansion plans in the Middle East will create 35,000 jobs, its regional head has said. The US company will at least double its size in the region with 130 new properties, its Middle East and Africa president, Guy Hutchinson, said. “We’re seeing this part of the world emerge as a thought and […] November 21, 2024
Analysis Leisure & Hospitality Infrastructure needed to support Egypt’s tourism ambitions Regional and international hotel operators are keen to expand in Egypt, but the country needs to improve infrastructure such as airports to support its tourism ambitions, industry sources have said. Egypt aims to emulate the high-end hospitality and entertainment development that the UAE and other Gulf countries have pioneered, at the same time bringing in […] October 9, 2024
Opinion Food & Drink Our love for cheap imported food is costing us dearly The UAE is too dependent on food imports while about a third, worth $4 billion, is wasted October 4, 2024
Analysis Tourism Gulf hospitality industry shrugs off war concerns Middle East hospitality veterans downplayed concerns over wider regional tensions this week, saying the industry has survived crises before and is poised to do so again. Government officials and corporate executives spoke during the Future Hospitality Summit, which is taking place in Dubai this week, just as military action intensified in Israel, Lebanon and Iran, […] October 3, 2024
Exclusive Leisure & Hospitality Palazzo Versace auction tied to owner’s finances The auction of the Palazzo Versace Dubai hotel is directly tied to the property’s owner’s financial circumstances and is not a reflection of the hotel’s performance, an executive told AGBI. The hotel itself continues to perform strongly, said Monther Darwish, managing director of Palazzo Versace Dubai and chairman and founder of Palazzo Hospitality, which oversees […] July 18, 2024
Video length: 08:13 Analysis Tourism Event tourism the spur for economic growth in Bahrain Bahrain has affirmed the strategic importance of the Sakhir Sports City development in a growing focus on event-related tourism as a primary engine of economic growth. The project, near the country’s Formula 1 circuit, is slated for completion in 2025 and expected to cost more than BD100 million ($266 million). It will encompass a stadium […] July 18, 2024
Video length: 07:12 Analysis Leisure & Hospitality Hotel franchising model takes off in the Gulf Global hospitality brands are aggressively expanding across the Gulf, stepping up competition and giving disgruntled owners unprecedented freedom to choose how and by whom their hotels should be run. Some hotel owners are opting for franchising agreements and third-party management arrangements. “Operators have become more flexible when offering their brands under a franchise than they […] June 12, 2024
Video length: 07:12 Analysis Leisure & Hospitality UAE hotel rebrandings a sign of discontent in the sector Growing discontent among UAE hotel owners about the treatment they are receiving from operators has resulted in a wave of hospitality rebrandings. More than a dozen major hotels across the UAE have been reflagged in the past year. Emirati, Spanish and Chinese hotel brands have also disclosed plans to pursue the same strategy as part […] June 5, 2024
