The Landmark Hotel Management announced plans to launch 10 world class Shariah compliant hotels and serviced apartments across the UAE and Saudi Arabia by the end of 2010. The move is in line with the company’s strategy to cater to the increasing demand for Shariah compliant projects in the Middle East, said a top company official. “Six of the ten upcoming projects will be launched in Dubai, two in Abu Dhabi, a four star hotel in Fujairah and one hotel in Jeddah,” said SM Sadique, managing director of Landmark Hotel Group.
“All the projects will operate on Islamic principles, which means that they are alcohol free, serve halal food, and provide a percentage of their profit to charity,” he said. He pointed out that the significant growth in the number of Arab and Muslim tourists and the corresponding increase in consumer spending by Arabs has boosted the demand for Shariah compliant hotels in the Middle East region.
‘Moreover, with the unprecedented growth being witnessed in the regional markets, we expect a further surge in Arab tourist inflow and a subsequent rise in demand for hotels that operate on Islamic principles,' Sadique added.
According to the World Tourism Organisation, travellers from the GCC spend over $12 billion annually on leisure travel. UAE travellers spend an average of $1,700 per vacation, which is $500 higher than the European average.
As governments in the Arab countries are increasingly promoting Islamic tourism so too is the private sector in order to diversify.
Landmark currently owns and operates six hotels in the Middle East, three of which are Dubai based, with more projects underway in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, India, Oman and Kuwait.
