A formal agreement to build the prestigious Dh120 million ($32.6 million) Novotel Sharjah Expo, an exclusive business hotel, was signed between Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, chairman of Basma Group, and Günther Hinterberger, managing director of Klampfer Middle East.

Also present at the signing was His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of United Investment, and Khalifa Al Shaibani, Director-General of United Investment.

The Novotel Sharjah Expo is being developed under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and will serve as the official hotel of Expo Centre Sharjah, which boasts a busy calendar of events and activities throughout the year.  The upcoming hotel is being seen as a new milestone for business and MICE tourism in Sharjah.

Speaking on the occasion, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi said: “Development is a continuous and cumulative process. It starts with a vision followed by directives and finally implementation.”

The chairman of Basma Group said: “We in Sharjah are constantly striving, under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to improve our emirate in a way that makes it keep pace with changing times and represent a beacon of modernity and authenticity at the same time. It is this endeavor that spawned the idea to build Novotel Sharjah Expo.”

Expressing his pleasure at being associated with the prestigious venture in the heart of Sharjah’s business district, Hinterberger said:  “As a European company that has successfully scaled into the Middle East under the KBW Investments group portfolio banner, we’re extremely proud to have been awarded this key hospitality project in the UAE.”

The Novotel Sharjah Expo, to be managed by Accor Hotel Services Middle East, will be integral to meeting the demand of the emirate’s tourism sector, he said. “Klampfer’s history of consistent quality and efficient operations allows for a superior end product; a strong and suitable match for this large-scale undertaking in Sharjah’s new hotel industry,” he added.

Featuring world-class amenities, the luxurious business hotel is the latest addition to Sharjah’s hospitality and tourism industry and will comprise 200 rooms that fall under three categories – standard rooms, club floor rooms and executive suites.
 
The Novotel Sharjah Expo is strategically located close to Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Dubai, as well as to the vital leisure areas in Sharjah. The hotel will feature a business centre with workstations and two meeting halls including a large meeting-cum-function hall of approximately 200-sq-m.  
Pointing out that the new hotel is the fruit of a strategic partnership, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi said that Novotel Sharjah Expo will meet a pressing need in the Emirate and be part of Sharjah’s present and future plans.

He added: “Boasting a smart and contemporary design, the hotel seeks to offer high-quality services to both businesspeople and tourists. It is true that it mainly aims to attend to the needs of visitors to the Expo Centre and business travellers, but it also targets leisure travellers and connects them to the most vital family leisure areas in the emirate.”

"Novotel Sharjah Expo is poised to complement Sharjah’s set of hotels, catering for the emirate’s progress in the fields of investment, tourism and economy and highlighting its bright cultural side," he added. - TradeArabia News Service