More than 800 leaders representing the ‘who’s who’ of the global hotel investment industry are set to meet for the third year running at the industry’s top hotel development networking event, the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), in Dubai from April 28-30, 2007.
According to Jonathan Worsley, AHIC’s co-organiser, the 2007 event has received the on-going patronage of His Highness Shaikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates Airline.
He also shared that the tourism heads of Saudi Arabia and the region’s latest destination ‘hot spot’, Ras Al Khaimah will take the stage and join the high-level discussions on the development of the region’s industry.
“As patron, His Highness, Shaikh Ahmed will lead a world-class speaker line-up, each briefed to stir debate on the issues and opportunities that come in the wake of rapid sector and market development.
“2007 speakers include His Royal Highness, Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, Secretary General, Supreme Commission for Tourism, Saudi Arabia and His Highness, Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah,” Worsley confirmed.
Under the theme of ‘Global Aspirations’, this year’s forum will table a variety of topics including investment to and from the region.
Worsley noted that it was interesting to see that AHIC sponsors were actively pursuing an international growth agenda with one third of Jumeirah’s portfolio now overseas and Istithmar Hotels acquiring hotels in New York and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s Rotana Hotels, Suites & Resorts, currently notches six properties outside of the GCC and is looking to fuel its growth to 42 properties in the next two years. Rotana recently announced a pioneering private placement, and an IPO listing inside three years is mooted by industry consultants.
Other topics for discussion include opportunities in emerging markets; anomalies of Middle East management contracts; presentation on selected mega projects in the region; residential real estate & hotels – the ultimate combination?; and the future of independent luxury lifestyle hotels in a consolidating environment.
Platinum sponsors of the 2007 event are: Kingdom Hotel Investments; Istithmar Hotels; Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, Rezidor Hotel Group, Bawadi and IFA Hotels & Resorts.
Alongside Jumeirah Group and Rotana, other AHIC gold sponsors are: Accor; Arabian Travel Market; Coral International Hotels, Resorts & Spas; Emaar Hotels & Resorts; Emirates; Euro RSCG Furness; Fairmont Raffles Hotels International Inc; Golden Tulip Hotels, Inns & Resorts; GuestInvest; Hamilton Hotel Partners; Horwath HTL Group; HVS International; InterContinental Hotels & Resorts; Interval International; Marriott International; Morgan Stanley; Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts; Northcourse Leisure Real Estate Solutions; OBM International; Rakeen; Shaza Hotels; Sidley Austin; Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc; The Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces, TRI Hospitality Consulting Middle East, WestLB and Wyndham Hotel Group International.
Media sponsors are: AME Info, CNBC Arabia, HOTELS, Hotel & Motel Management, Sleeper and TTN.
AHIC is jointly organised by The Bench and the Middle East Economic Digest (MEED). It will run from April 28-30, 2007 at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah Convention Centre.
To register visit www.arabianconference.com
The Bench
Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench and a consultant to CB Richard Ellis Hotels, is one of the organisers and founders of the International Hotel Investment Forum held each year in Berlin. In 2005, he was responsible for launching the successful Arabian Hotel Investment Conference with MEED Conferences. Worsley sits as an advisor to the World Travel & Tourism Council, which represents many of the leading companies operating worldwide in the travel and tourism industry. The Bench (www.thebench.com), provides online real time daily benchmarking data for the hotel industry in over 96 destinations worldwide.
[email protected] on +44 1483 835794
or [email protected] on +44 208 297 2053
MEED
MEED (Middle East Economic Digest) is internationally recognised as providing essential information for anyone doing business in, or with, the Middle East and North Africa. MEED now attracts over 70,000 individual readers each week, across 70 countries worldwide. MEED Conferences is part of the leading information brand in the Middle East working to provide delegates with the very latest business sensitive information. For more than a decade, MEED Conferences has organised events attended by senior government officials and thousands of international business people. The conference series is aimed at companies active or seeking business in the markets of the Middle East. MEED is well established as the source of strategic and accurate regional information placing it in a unique position to bring together high-calibre speakers.
