UAE master developer Nakheel is planning to partner with one of Thailand’s leading hotel groups, Centara Hotels & Resorts, to create a 550-room resort at Dubai’s newest tourism hotspot – Deira Islands.

The upscale beachfront resort, complete with its own waterpark, would be the first Centara establishment in the UAE, adding another international name to the growing collection of new hotel brands in Dubai.

The resort and waterpark would be located within easy reach of Nakheel’s Deira Mall and Deira Islands Night Souk, which will have 6,400 shops, restaurants and cafes between them.  

Centara’s portfolio includes around 14,000 rooms across 67 hotels and resorts under six brands across Asia, Indian Ocean, Africa and the Middle East.  Many are landmark properties in prime city, resort and beachfront locations.

Nakheel’s joint venture with Centara is the latest development in the company’s aggressive expansion into Dubai’s hospitality sector, under which 10 hotels - including five star, all inclusive and value-for-money concepts - are planned at locations across Dubai, with five of them at Deira Islands.

Nakheel’s hotel portfolio also includes the five star Palm Tower on Palm Jumeirah, two hotels at Ibn Battuta Mall and two at Dragon City.

The planned partnership is Nakheel’s third joint venture for hotels at Deira Islands announced this year. The company is already working on a 750-room resort with Spain’s RIU Hotels & Resorts and a 500-room Avani resort with Thailand’s Minor Hotel Group.

Nakheel said it now has 1,800 hotels rooms at Deira Islands in the pipeline under international joint ventures, with more to come.

On the new project, chairman Ali Rashid Lootah said: "We are committed to partnering with reputable international hotel brands to bring new tourism concepts to Dubai in line with the government’s tourism vision, and our joint venture with Centara is another fine example."

"We are delighted that one of Thailand’s biggest, most popular hotel operators has chosen to invest in Dubai and help us create yet another unique offering at Deira Islands," he stated.
 
Thirayuth Chirathivat, the CEO of Centara Hotels & Resorts, said: "We continuously explore new opportunities to strategically expand the Centara portfolio in international markets. Dubai is a key city for us and with Nakheel’s strength and success in the market, they make the ideal development partner."

Nakheel’s Deira Islands coastal city will add 40 km, including 21 km of beachfront, to Dubai’s coastline.

The project paves the way for the development of hotels and serviced apartments, retail destinations, mixed-use buildings and residential waterside developments at what will become Dubai’s newest hub for culture, tourism, entertainment and leisure.-TradeArabia News Service