Ambitious hotel projects are planned all around the Middle East. (Photo from Unsplash by Laurentiu Morariu)

TOPHOTELPROJECTS shows 192,417 rooms are currently in the Middle East’s hotel pipeline and are meant to welcome an ever-growing number of inbound travellers.

632 hotels with 192,417 rooms are currently under development in the Middle East.

These new properties were meant to accommodate the growing number of inbound travellers. However, with COVID-19 making travel, and even hotel development for that matter, almost impossible these days, many of these projects are currently on hold.

Still, developers remain optimistic for the post-crisis time and hope that projects will suffer no more than a 6-month delay. Of course, for now, it is impossible to predict how things will play out in the end.

For now, we look at which hotels are on the books for the coming years and keep our fingers crossed we will see them open soon.

Busy times lie ahead

219 hotels with 61,153 rooms were planned for 2020. Many of these properties will likely be pushed into 2021 due to the COVID-19 situation and the resulting construction delays.

For 2021, 157 properties with 48,917 rooms are in the pipeline. This does not yet count spillover from 2020 as exact predictions concerning delays cannot be made yet.

Another 88 hotels are supposed to open in 2022 and add 28,169 rooms to the region’s portfolio. 41 hotels are planned for 2023 while 127 are on the books for 2024 and beyond.

Of these properties, 329 will be in the 4-star sector while the remaining 303 will be in the 5-star category.

Fastest-growing national hotel markets in the Middle East

For what was supposed to be Expo 2020, the United Arab Emirates had planned a slew of new hotel openings despite its already massive hotel offering. Currently, 228 properties are under development there and will bring 69,395 new rooms.

Saudi Arabia follows with 162 hotels and 70,854 rooms. Qatar, Turkey and Oman are next in line with 46, 45 and 35 openings respectively. Georgia, Israel and Iraq will see 24, 23 and 15 hotels open while Bahrain and Kuwait will get 14 and 13 new hotels each.

The Middle East’s top 10 urban hotel markets

Unsurprisingly, Dubai takes the lead with 161 hotels and 61,206 new rooms. Riyadh and Jeddah, both in Saudi Arabia, follow with 44 and 40 openings each.

Doha, Makkah and Muscat with each see 37, 26 and 24 hotels open which Abu Dhabi’s portfolio will grow by 23 hotels. Ras al-Khaimah and Istanbul will both get 17 new hotels and Tbilisi closes out the top 10 with 16 hotel launches.

Middle East Hotel Construction Report

Did you know that 700 hotel projects are in the pipeline in the Middle East? Get your free copy of our latest report for more details.

Top 10 hotel brands expanding in the Middle East

Hilton is investing heavily in the region and its brands have taken over the top 3 positions of the Middle East hotel brand leaderboard. DoubleTree by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Garden Inn will launch 18, 17 and 14 hotels respectively.

Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts will open 12 new hotels. Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, the Address Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotels & Resorts and Courtyard by Marriott will each grow their footprints by 12 properties. Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts and Novotel will each celebrate 11 launches.

Noteworthy hotel projects in the Middle East

The largest hotel currently in the Middle East’s and also the world’s pipeline is the 9,760-room Abraj Kudai Towers in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The 1.4-million-square-metre development will house residential units, five-star hotels and a variety of commercial and leisure zones. Its proximity to the Holy Kaaba will make this property an attractive destination for religious travellers visiting the Holy City for their pilgrimage.

The 1,490-room Jabal Omar Address Makkah is another imposing project underway in Makkah just steps away from the Grand Mosque. With two elegantly designed identical towers, Jabal Omar Address Makkah is centrally located and forms the tallest towers within the master development. A bridge linking the two towers serves as a visual landmark. Hotel facilities will include a mall, leisure and lifestyle facilities and prayer rooms.

The 641-room Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island Resort will be on Yas Bay, an area which is anticipated to become one of the region’s most iconic and vibrant waterfront destinations. The resort’s facilities will include a multi-purpose conference centre, seven dining outlets and an innovative urban beach concept with an infinity pool suspended above the Arabian Gulf. Large-scale events in the nearby Yas Arena will attract visitors and overnight guests.