The GCC and North Africa have about $90 billion worth of hotel and resort projects in the pipeline, adding nearly 200,000 rooms to the region’s existing supply, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia accounting for around half of this (110,000 rooms), said a report released ahead of a key industry event in Dubai.
The MICHELIN Guide has unveiled its 2026 UAE hotel selection, featuring 83 properties across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, including 25 hotels awarded MICHELIN Keys, recognising the country’s growing hospitality offering.
The main structure of the first hotel in the R1029 Island Project in Dubai, built by China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), was recently topped out.
dnata Travel Group, the travel arm of aviation services provider dnata, signed 12 partnership agreements at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026 to further broaden its travel offering and expand its international reach.
Abu Dhabi's Miral has announced plans to invest more than AED12 billion ($3.3 billion) across Yas Island over the next five years, reflecting a clear focus on expanding its existing leisure attractions as well as boosting the hospitality offering, adding new hotel rooms and elevating its accommodation portfolio.
Dubai’s tourism industry is increasingly demonstrating its strength, with the city’s hotel sector delivering sustained performance growth, said a report ahead of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026. The hotel occupancy reached 66% in August, representing 89% of last year's city occupancy levels.
Italian technology company Vimar said its Eikon Exé electrical control and home automation range has been selected for the newly opened Raffles Jeddah, a luxury hospitality development featuring 182 rooms and suites in addition to 120 apartments with private terraces.
Global hospitality group Accor has announced that it has sealed a partnership deal with Al Qimmah Hospitality, a subsidiary of Bin Dawood Investment Company, to develop a portfolio of more than 4,000 keys across Saudi Arabia, including an 850-room Novotel property in Makkah.
Saudi Arabia’s hotel sector has remained resilient despite broader international travel disruptions, supported by religious tourism, sustained domestic travel and revenue and cost optimisation, according to JLL’s KSA Hotels Market Dynamics Q2 2026 report.
Dubai’s mid-market hotels maintained comparatively higher occupancy than those in the premium sector in H1 2026 as regional airspace disruption and heightened geopolitical uncertainty weighed on hotel demand, says leading real estate advisory and property consultancy, Cavendish Maxwell.
