• Focus on ‘Unlocking Investment Opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa’
  • Over 500 industry professionals from across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Asia and US to debate the changing investment and hotel sector landscape in the region
  • AHIC’s role highlighted by Jones Lang LaSalle observation that ‘Despite the current economic and tourism environment, developers are aware that hotel supply currently present in MENA will not be sufficient to meet demand in the longer term’[i]
  • Conference being held from 1 – 3 May 2010 at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; full programme can be found at

The programme for the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 2010, taking place from 1 – 3 May 2010, was today announced. The Conference will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airlines.

The focus for the conference this year is ‘Unlocking Investment Opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa’, and the event brings together over 500 of the top hotel investment industry professionals through an interactive programme that includes panels, breakfast briefings and breakout sessions.

The debates will be led by a selection of industry leaders, including:

  • HE Sheikh Mubarak Abdulla Al Mubarak Al Sabah, Chairman of Action Hotels
  • HE Saif Mohammed Al Hajeri, Chairman of Abu Dhabi National Hotels
  • Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways
  • Gerald Lawless, Executive Chairman of Jumeirah Group
  • Kurt Ritter, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Rezidor Hotel Group
  • Mark Wynne-Smith, CEO EMEA of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels
  • Sarmad Zok, Chief Executive Officer of Kingdom Hotel Investments

The AHIC 2010 Leadership Award will also be presented to Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and Chairman of TDIC.

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench Events which co-organises AHIC, commented: “The consensus appears to be that the worst of the global economic crisis is over, which makes the themes being debated at AHIC 2010 more important than ever. Intelligent and targeted investment is vital for the industry as the region recovers from the downturn, and the insight that will be offered by the group of speakers that will gather in Dubai in May will be invaluable for everyone involved in the industry.”

The positive outlook for the region’s hotel investment market was supported by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ‘2009 International Tourism Results and Prospects for 2010’, released in January 2010. The report highlighted that global international tourist arrivals for business, leisure and other purposes saw a 2% upswing in the last quarter of 2009, with the Middle East, and Asia and Pacific leading the recovery through positive growth in both regions in the second half of 2009. The report also forecast growth of 5-9% for the Middle East in 2010, compared to a 3-4% world growth forecast.

Recent figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) showed that MENA regional airlines grew overall passenger traffic by 11.2% in 2009, and ended with growth of 19.2% in December 2009 compared with December 2008. This growth was led by significant expansion by Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways, which have taken strong positions in the markets between Asia and Europe, illustrating the importance of the region as a bridge between East and West.

Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways, commented: “Air travel plays a vital role in bringing visitors to the region, and the growth in passenger numbers in 2009, despite the difficult industry conditions, is a positive sign for everyone involved in the MENA region’s hotel and tourism sectors.”

Peter Baumgartner will be talking about ‘The impact of future airline travel patterns on hotel industry demand in MENA’ at AHIC 2010 (Day 2, Sunday 2 May 2010).

Furthermore, the Jones Lang LaSalle Hotel Investment Outlook 2010 predicts the birth of the hotel transaction market in 2010, due to short term financing issues for some operators but a positive long term outlook. The report highlights that hotel supplies currently present in MENA will not be sufficient to meet demand in the longer term, and once conditions improve extensive growth in tourism demand could allow for a quick absorption of current and future hotel supply.

Mark Wynne-Smith, CEO of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, EMEA, commented: “We see increased regional hotel transactions as being a key trend in 2010, with strengthening interest from high net worth individuals, such as Middle Eastern and Asian investors and sovereign wealth funds. Development activity will likely remain subdued in some markets in the short-term but we expect pick up across the entire market in the medium and longer term. The hottest markets in North Africa will be Morocco and Egypt, whilst the Middle East markets will see developers balance out their portfolios by expanding outside the UAE.”

Mark Wynne-Smith will be moderating the ‘Leaders’ Panel – Global and MENA Hotel Investment Opportunities’ at AHIC 2010 (Day 2, Sunday 2 May 2010)

Rosemary Youssef
+971 50 354 8805
MEED (Middle East Economic Digest)