The organisers of the upcoming Arabian Hotel Investment Conference are expecting a record attendance with the delegate registration set to break the 1,000-mark.

The conference will run from May 3 to 5 at Madinat Jumeirah Convention Centre in Dubai.

The conference, held under the patronage of Shaikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president, Dubai’s Department of Civil Aviation and chairman & CEO of Emirates Group, is jointly organised by The Bench and Meed. 

According to conference organiser, Jonathan Worsley, the delegation registeration has seen a 100 per cent growth in four years.

“We believe that the surge in attendance over the past four years stands as a sign of AHIC’s acceptance as the premier event for region’s hospitality investment sector! We expect to pass 1,000 delegates in 2008, up from just over 500 in AHIC’s inaugural year in 2004.”

'The three-day hospitality investment forum will again see the ‘who’s who’ of the global hotel investment industry thrash out the hot topics that are driving the region’s bullish sector,' Worsley said.

“We are thrilled to have Shaikh Ahmed confirm his support for the fourth year in a row, a true sign that AHIC is cemented as the significant event on the region’s hospitality investment calendar,” he addded.

“Industry research has revealed that AHIC has become known as the place where introductions are made that enable new ventures and business opportunities in the sector to seed and grow.'

Worsley added that the industry too is expected to grow by 4.4 per cent per annum in real terms between now and 2016, with Middle East travel and tourism investment estimated to reach $39.4 billion during the same period.

AHIC 2008 sees the introduction of a first-day summit session. India has been selected as the summit’s flagship topic.

“India’s hospitality sector is fast gaining gear to accommodate international interest, both in business and leisure sectors, in a country poised for rapid growth,” said Worsley.

He said that demand for upscale hotel rooms in India is on the rise, and so are prices.

“Recent figures bear out this optimism with room rates in the major metropolitan centres rising nearly 40 per cent this year over 2006, while global names such as Shangri-La, Four Seasons, Marriott and Hilton have all announced major expansion plans for India,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service