EVEN as an estimated 174 new hotels are set to open in the next three years, Reed Exhibitions will organise the first Equip’ Hotel Middle East in Abu Dhabi next year.
The show, a regional edition of the world-class show for the hotel, restaurant, café and catering industries known as Equip’ Hotel Paris, will take place from December 14 to 16, 2008 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). It is expected to support the rapidly expanding hospitality sector in the GCC region.
Equip’ Hotel Paris is well-established and is considered the leading international hospitality show primarily targeting the European market.
“We are pleased to bring Equip’ Hotel, Reed’s internationally known hospitality event, to the Middle East. The region represents one of the most dynamic markets for the hospitality sector and we believe that the exhibition will act as an excellent platform to showcase the latest developments from the hotel, restaurant, catering and a wide range of related sub-sectors,” said Frederic Theux, president of Reed Exhibitions Middle East.
Exhibitors at the event will include companies displaying building layout and fitting products, tableware, laundry, cafeteria and bar equipment, hotel and restaurant concepts, vending, kitchen equipment, linen and professional wear, furniture and design, guest amenities, spas, bathroom and wellness and sound and lighting technologies.
Visitors at the show will include buyers from the hospitality sector, distributors, educational institutions, government authorities, investors, developers and designers.
Theux said Equip’ Hotel Middle East will fill a vital gap in the rapidly expanding hospitality industry in the region. Noting that in the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain alone, 174 new hotels are expected to add 48,940 rooms over the next three years.
Quoting a market survey commissioned by Reed, Theux said a large proportion of these new hotels are expected to be five-star.
“International, regional and local operators see huge potential in the sector. But the billions being poured into the sector has also made it a very competitive space to be in. Operators are aware that with such strong competition they need to be up-to-date with the latest developments in the industry. Equip’ Hotel Middle East will provide that opportunity,” he added.
In the UAE alone, 97 new hotels are likely to be added by 2010, Reed’s market survey shows. The new hotels will have a combined capacity of more than 30,600 rooms. In the same period, Qatar is expected to add 39 new hotels and 9,835 rooms; Kuwait, 19 hotels and 4,115 new rooms; Bahrain, 15 hotels and 3,615 rooms and Oman, four hotels and 766 rooms. Currently the total hotel room capacity in the above countries stands at 33,925.
Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital is planning to increase hotel room capacity to 25,000 by 2015 and develop over 100 hotels in the next ten years. The emirate is investing over Dh367 billion in the next five years in a combination of projects that include upgrading the UAE capital’s airport, building a new seaport, establishing new townships and tourism development.