Hilton International, one of the world's leading hotel brands, has revealed plans for development in the region with the possibility of opening a Conrad or Scandic hotel as part of the Hilton family in the coming years.

"The last two years have proved very successful for Hilton International with the opening of five new hotels in the Arabian Gulf," said Hilton International's vice president for operations in the Arabian Gulf, Rudi Jagersbacher.

"This development has increased our portfolio of properties by 40 per cent and we are eager to capitalise on the growth in this region and expand further."

Recent openings have spanned the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman including the Hilton Dubai Creek, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Hilton Ras Al Khaimah, Hilton Jeddah, and the Hilton Salalah. A new luxury resort hotel, Hilton Kuwait, will open at the end of this month.

Commenting on Hilton's success, Jagersbacher said: "Hotels such as the Jeddah Hilton and the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah have greatly exceeded our expectations since opening and are now considered to be flagship properties in this region."

The Jeddah Hilton, which opened in July 2001, has already earned itself a strong reputation as the primary business hotel in the city. The hotel has hosted foreign ministers for the GCC summit and recently held the Jeddah Economic Forum.

"With the purchase of Scandic hotels in July 2001 and the recent alliance with Hilton's five-star deluxe chain, Conrad, we now have the scope to introduce two new brands into the Gulf, providing a variety of exciting hotel experiences consistent with the number one hotel brand in the world," said Jagersbacher.