Omer Kaddouri

President and CEO

Hospitality investments in the UAE and in the region are expected to receive a boost due to a number of factors, such as upcoming global events like the Expo 2020, as well as key government initiatives aimed at easing travel and stay. The UAE’S decision to grant its visa-on-arrival facility for Russian and Chinese citizens is one example. The GCC hospitality market is expected to grow at an almost eight percent CAGR in the coming five-year period to reach USD 36.7 billion in 2020, while in the UAE, hospitality revenue is forecast to increase to almost USD 10 billion by 2020. A recent report by JLL predicts a spike in hospitality investment, with the total volume of transactions in the EMEA region expected to hit USD 22.5 billion in 2017, up from USD 20.5 billion in 2016. As technology continues to disrupt tourism and hospitality and influence consumer expectations, I believe we will see hotel brands in the region placing renewed emphasis on innovation to meet guest expectations around personalization and on-demand functionality. Rotana is leading the way in this regard, with a world-class range of product brands that cater to the needs of specific guest segments and, as we continue to expand our presence and enter new markets, a quest for innovative ways to improve overall guest satisfaction remains at the center of our business strategy.