Hilton Hotels Corporation has signed a deal to manage the Mina Al Arab Resort in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.

Hilton Hotels Corporation announced the signing of a management agreement with RAK Properties that will see a new integrated lifestyle development, Hilton Mina Al Arab Resort, open in Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE in the first quarter of 2010.

“This new Worldwide Resort in Ras Al Khaimah is integral to our development strategy in the Middle East, where we plan to double our current portfolio of 34 hotels within the next five years,” said Jean-Paul Herzog, President, Hilton Hotels, Middle East and Africa.

“The Arabian Peninsula is a key development market for us; there is so much potential that is untapped. Ras Al Khaimah epitomises this situation, and we are pleased to be able to bring out its most inviting qualities,” said Jean-Paul Herzog.
 
Hilton Mina Al Arab Resort will be Hilton’s third property in the emirate. All 400 rooms will face the Arabian Sea set onto a natural beach spanning 300 metres, while its design incorporates the distinctive Venetian style of arched doorways, neutral tones and mosaic friezes.

RAK Properties managing director Mohammed Sultan Al Qadi said:

“We are proud to be driving the development of Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism infrastructure through path-breaking projects and productive partnerships.

“To partner with Hilton is to gain the backing of a world-renowned company with considerable international experience, a proven track record in emerging markets, and a reputation for sustainable destination management.”

Mina Al Arab, a Dh10 billion freehold development, has been designed as a gated, waterfront resort community where homes and hotels will be set amidst lush landscaping, protected coastal wetlands, pristine beaches and world-class amenities.

The new Hilton resort will raise tourism standards in the Emirate in the same way that the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah and the newly opened Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa have done.

Ras Al Khaimah has all the elements of a world-class destination: the mountains, the ocean, proximity to international airports, and now the hotel properties to bring these elements together.

Additional Hilton properties are under development in the UAE, with the Residence, Beach Club and Conrad - all in Dubai, and in Abu Dhabi with its first Conrad, in addition to Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon and Jordan (Amman & Aqaba). Furthermore, the new-look Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa will open after a complete facelift in 2008.

Hilton Worldwide Resorts is an upscale, global resort network with a collection of 60 resorts located in exotic places, making up the world’s largest global choice.

Hilton Hotels Corporation operates 18 resorts in the US, 40 are operated outside the US by Hilton International, including four all-inclusive Coral by Hilton resorts, and two are operated by Conrad.

The network spans 25 countries and eight regions including the Americas, Arabian Peninsula, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, Egypt, Europe, Israel and the Indian Ocean. New resort openings are planned in America, Italy and Portugal.

The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded hotel brands including Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites by Hilton®, and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection.

The company currently operates 44 hotels in the Middle East and Africa – 19 hotels in Egypt, nine hotels in the UAE, four in Saudi Arabia and one each in Oman and Kuwait, plus another ten hotels in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Hilton's heritage in the Middle East stretches back nearly 50 years, when it became the first international hotel brand to open a property in Egypt - the Nile Hilton in 1959.