The Emirates News Agency reports a discussion with Director General of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Khalid bin Sulayem, who states that Dubai is set to grow from 319 hotels (36,564 rooms) and 120 (10,211 rooms) hotel apartment complexes this year to about 414 hotels (112,000 rooms) and 140 hotel apartment complexes (15,000 rooms) by 2016. The biggest addition to this will be the Bawadi project which will also feature the worlds biggest hotel, Asia Asia with 6,500 rooms.

Sulayem also said that revenues from the hospitality sector touched Dh 6.4 billion in the first half of 2007 and revenues rose from Dh 1.8 billion in 1996 to Dh 10.8 billion in 2006, a whopping growth of 500 per cent. The hospitality sector also hosted 3.4 million guests in the first 6 months of 2007 (10.2 million room nights). Dubai is also set to host the World Tourism and Travel Summit on 20-22 April 2008 under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.


tags: dubai, uae, hotels, resorts, hospitality, tourism, travel, middle-east, 2016, world, summit, room-nights, development, growth