Top industry executives and officials will gather to discuss investment opportunities in the region at the annual Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 2012 (AHIC) set to be held in Dubai next month.

The discussion will focus on investment opportunities in a region where governments are ploughing billions of dollars into tourism infrastructure, said a statement.

Kurt Ritter, president and CEO, the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, said: “Flush with cash from multi-billion dollar sales of gas, Qatar has embarked on an aggressive infrastructure spending programme as it prepares to host the 2022 World Cup, and for life beyond.”

The direct contribution of travel and tourism to Qatar’s GDP is expected to reach $1.1 billion in 2012, compared to $800 million in 2009, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

“The economic conditions are excellent. We see Qatar as a crucial addition to our GCC portfolio and look forward to seeing our core brand Radisson Blu make its entry into the market in 2012. The country has certainly become a key hotel investment destination,” Ritter said.

Over the next five years the Qatar will invest around $65 billion in new transportation schemes including the new $11 billion Doha International Airport, the $6 billion Doha port project and a $25 billion metro and railway.

It is investing $20 billion alone into tourism infrastructure for its World Cup preparations according to the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), with most of this investment going into building new hotels.

It plans to have 30,000 hotel rooms by 2013, up from 15,500 late last year, and aims to add 5,000 new hotel rooms each year up until 2022, bringing the total number of hotel rooms to 75,000, according to QTA.

It will be held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman Dubai Airports and chairman and CEO, Emirates Airline & Group, and organised by MEED Events in partnership with Bench Events, the statement said.

As well as focusing on the Middle East’s investment landscape after the Arab Spring, AHIC will hold a session that looks at the issues facing Egypt, while key industry figures will address the challenges of developing and operating in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

There will also be a separate dedicated session exploring investment opportunities outside the Middle East, it said. – TradeArabia News Service