ABOUT 25 new hotel projects are coming up in the UAE emirate of Ras Al Khaimah as part of its plan to boost tourism sector.
“Our strategy is to make Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) an international destination throughout the year,” Khater Massaad, advisor to RAK Crown Prince and CEO of RAK Investment Authority (Rakia), told media.
Tourism has grown exponentially in the emirate over the past two years, since the government started implementing its new vision of development, based on mainly on tourism and industrial investments, the report said.
Several mega tourism projects such as the Al Hamra Village, Mina Al Arab, Al Marjan Island and the Saraya Islands are coming to the emirate. Leading hotel brands that will run properties in RAK include Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts which will set up a luxury resort in Ras Al Khaimah.
Mina Al Arab, the Dh10 billion ($2.72 billion) mega lifestyle development project of RAK Properties, currently underway in RAK, will feature a number of themed resort hotels and two eco-hotels that will provide an estimated 3,500 sumptuous rooms for tourists and visitors of the emirate.
Work on the Dh5.5 billion Saraya Islands, a joint initiative of the RAK Government, Saraya Holdings and Arab Bank, are to begin October 2006 and will add up another four five-star hotels and leisure facilities.
The 450-room Al Hamra Palace is under construction and set to be operational by the end of 2007.
Meanwhile, the Dh48 million Khatt Springs Hotel & Spa opened last month in Ras Al Khaimah. Branded as a 'medical hotel and an oasis of wellness', the five-star hotel is located at the foot of the emirate's Hajar mountain ranges and adjacent to the Khatt hot springs.