Hotel Investors to Focus on Life After Arab Spring

Nearly 500 hotels under construction in Middle East/Africa according to STR Global, as operators push ahead with projects despite regional turmoil. Following a tumultuous period in the Middle East, the investment climate post Arab Spring will be the main focus at the annual Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 2012 (AHIC), which will take place in Dubai, on 28-30 April 2012 at Madinat Jumeirah.

Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, organizer MEED Events in partnership with Bench Events has put together a three-day programme designed to explore the outlook for investment in the Middle East’s changing landscape.

“Despite the upheaval of the past 12 months, the Middle East offers some of the world’s best tourism and hotel investment opportunities. But the region should not be viewed as a single, homogenous market. It covers a large number of diverse markets, each providing its own opportunities and challenges,” said Richard Thompson, Editor, MEED.

“The long-term potential of North African markets such as Libya, Tunisia and Egypt cannot be questioned due to their proximity to Europe and their abundance of natural and cultural assets. But the political upheaval of the past year has created an air of uncertainty in those countries that has increased the real and perceived risks for investors and tourists,” added Thompson.