Middle East opens just seven hotels in Q2 2020, reveals report

The Middle East’s pipeline of hotels has shown signs of slowing down as COVID-19 forces workers to stay at home and funds dry up amid difficult economic situations. In Q2 2020, just seven hotels opened in the region.

According to Lodging Econometrics’ latest Construction Pipeline Trend Report for the Middle East, the region’s hotel construction pipeline stood at 591 projects/169,538 rooms in Q2 2020. This is a seven percent drop in terms of projects and a six percent drop in rooms YoY, as well as being the fourth consecutive quarter of deceleration since peaking in Q2 2019.

Projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months are down by 31 percent by projects and 34 percent by rooms YoY to end the second quarter at 109 projects/25,658 rooms. Projects in the early planning stage are at 119 projects/26,422 rooms. Altogether, only 1,469 hotel keys entered the region in the quarter.

Hospitality projects under construction, however, are at an all-time high of 363 projects/117,458 rooms.

Countries with the most projects in the construction pipeline are Saudi Arabia with 210 projects/69,610 rooms and the United Arab Emirates with 186 projects/55,797 rooms, followed by Egypt with 60 projects/14,641 rooms, then Oman with 36 projects/6,967 rooms. Dubai continues to lead the construction pipeline in the UAE with 144 projects/44,895 rooms, revealed the report.

With its strong push into leisure tourism and hospitality, Saudi Arabian cities top the list in terms of pipeline size. Riyadh has a record-high 62 projects/12,414 rooms planned, while Jeddah has 50 projects/10,705 rooms and Makkah has 31 projects/32,387 rooms.

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Rosewood Hotel Group Continues Sustained Path Of Expansion

Rosewood Hotel Group and its inspiring brands – Rosewood Hotels & Resorts®, New World Hotels & Resorts™, and KHOS™ – continues on a steady path of growth with new signings and openings in the world’s most evocative destinations and a curated pipeline of projects that invite discovery and originality

Rosewood Hotel Group signed 10 new hotel transactions in 2019, including breakthrough deals in high-profile destinations globally. The Group’s pipeline is at its strongest in history, with 32 projects under development, including 21 for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, five for KHOS and six for New World Hotels & Resorts.

Further expansion of the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts collection is underway with future openings planned for Greater China in Chengdu (2023), Shenzhen (2023), Taipei (2024), Ningbo (2024); and for Southeast Asia in Hoi An, Vietnam (2023) and Hermana Mayor, Philippines (2024). The coming months will see the launch of the Group’s first incubator hotels in China for the innovative KHOS brand and the New World Hotels & Resorts is also expanding into India, with a planned opening in Jaipur (2023) and soon announcing a second opening in the Rajasthan region. This momentum has generated exceptional interest in the Group from development partners across the continent. Further growth will be announced for Shanghai, North Asia and the Pacific in the coming months.

The growth impetus in Europe has extended into the Middle East, where a regional flagship Rosewood Doha hotel and branded residences property was signed in 2019

In early 2021, Rosewood São Paulo will open, marking the brand’s debut in South America with a hotel that will set a new standard for luxury accommodation on the continent.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) Expands Its Presence in Dubai

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) adds a new neighbourhood to its boutique and lifestyle brand Hotel Indigo, the brand’s first ever hotel in the Middle East. The flagship property in the region will open its doors along the banks of the Dubai Creek, minutes away from Burj Khalifa.

Slated to open in summer 2020, Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown is a stone’s throw from a number of iconic landmarks and attractions, including one of the world’s largest retail hubs, The Dubai Mall.

“We are excited to be opening the first Hotel Indigo® in the Middle East,” said Laura Eggleton, General Manager, Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown. “As our first opening in the region, Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown combines the city’s heritage with the new, fresh buzz of the ever-evolving landscape through local collaborations