Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will open seven distinctive new hotels in growing markets around the globe, throughout 2010, including the Makkah Clock Royal Tower in Saudi Arabia.

While most are newly developed properties, Fairmont will also throw open the doors at two of the world’s most celebrated addresses: The Savoy in London and the Peace Hotel in Shanghai.

Other properties to be opened this year include Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, Fairmont Pittsburgh, Fairmont Beijing and the Fairmont Zimbali Resort which sits along South Africa’s sublime east coast.

The newly developed property, Makkah Clock Royal Tower in Saudi Arabia, which will open in Q3 this year, will be a key destination for visitors from the UAE and the Middle East, strengthening the popularity of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts with travelers from the region, said a spokesperson.

“Outbound travel to Asia, Africa, and Europe from the Middle East markets remains strong. The new hotels will cater generously to the needs of guests from the Middle East with facilities tailored to their needs, such as large family rooms and suites, and many hotels providing halal food,” said Thomas W Storey, president, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

Makkah Clock Royal Tower, a Fairmont Hotel in Saudi Arabia, will be the focal point of the iconic Abraj Al Bait Complex, which includes seven towers and is adjacent to the Masjid al Haram, the holiest site in Islam.

The 858-room hotel will offer Fairmont Gold, the brand’s exclusive lifestyle product offering, numerous dining outlets and conference facilities.

The 76-storey hotel tower, at 577 metres (1893 ft) high, will be among the world’s tallest and features a 40-metre (130 ft) clock, more than five times larger than Big Ben in London, which will announce daily prayers to the Muslim world. A Lunar Observation Center and an Islamic Museum will add to the fascination of this one-of-a-kind property.-TradeArabia News Service