Safir Hotels and Resorts is expanding its footprint across the Middle East, according to a company statement.
Over the next 12 months, the group is set to open two new properties, in Doha and Sinai, and is in negotiations for hotels and serviced apartments in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
The new Safir Hotel, Doha, Qatar, is a centrally located property a mere three minutes from the airport, with 140 rooms and suites. The Safir Blue Bay Resort in Sinai, Egypt, will offer 340 rooms and 100 chalets and villas, the statement said.
Safir has been in the hospitality business for a long time. The holding company, Kuwait Hotels Company, was formed in 1962, by a group of major companies and state institutions, with the main purpose of developing first class, international hotel projects in Kuwait and abroad.
Since August 2003, the majority shareholder in Safir Hotels & Resorts has been the Kuwaiti-based conglomerate KIPCO (Kuwait Investment Projects Company), a diverse privately owned company with major interests worldwide. KIPCO is a group of companies with core businesses including banking, insurance, real estate, hotels, catering establishments, retailing, information and communication technology, consultancy services, satellite TV broadcasting and other media services.
Safir Hotels & Resorts is rooted in the Middle East and has adapted its services to Arabian culture, creating a blend of the true Middle Eastern hospitality with an efficient business approach that showcases Arabian hospitality. The group is committed to contribute to the advancement of the Hotel Industry, through active participation in various professional associations and we strive to continue improvement of skills and services, according to the statement.
The group currently runs six hotels in Kuwait, three in Egypt, two in Lebanon, two in Syria and one in Algeria.
Under the umbrella of KIPCO, the long-term goal of the Safir group is to create an international network of full service city-centre hotels, resorts and serviced suite properties, for the modern frequent business and family leisure traveller in the Middle East and North Africa.