Meed | Region heads for hotel boom

Region heads for hotel boom

28 March 2024

This report on hotel investment also includes: GCC becomes a top tourist destination

Alongside the major infrastructure and construction schemes currently under way in the region, contractors in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) are looking forward to a significant inbound spree of hospitality-linked project work.

A combination of government-led touristic masterplans – led by expansive and ambitious schemes in Saudi Arabia – alongside private sector investment in individual hotels and resorts has led to the build-up of a $54bn pipeline of hospitality-linked projects in the pre-execution, study and planning stages across the Mena region, according to regional projects tracker MEED Projects.

With this ramp up in planned hotel schemes, the region is now leading the global recovery in tourism projects, in a reflection of broader travel trends that have seen tourist arrival numbers grow to exceed pre-pandemic levels by 22%, according to GlobalData.

Projects under way

The $54bn project pipeline compares to a value of $22.7bn of work currently under execution in the region, and a long-term tally of $95.4bn-worth of hotel and resort project contract awards over the past decade and a half.

In contrast to the pace of activity since 2009, however, the region’s upcoming projects are set to be delivered in a much tighter timeframe. Almost the entire $54bn-worth of planned hotel and resort projects is scheduled or expected for award before the end of 2025 and set to be completed in advance of 2030.

This sets the stage for an intensified period of hotel investment and development over the next five years that could surpass the last investment boom cycle in 2014 and 2015, when hotel project award totals reached $9.1bn and $10bn, respectively.

Since 2009, the average annual value of hotel and resort project awards has been $6.4bn, with activity waxing and waning over the intervening period. Hotel and resort schemes fell away dramatically in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with awards reaching a low of $2.6bn in 2021. Activity then recovered in 2022 and 2023 to the above-average values of $6.7bn and $6.6bn, respectively.

So far in 2024, there have been $1.3bn of hotel and resort project awards, but there is a further $5.2bn in work under bid and set to be awarded this year. The award of those projects would take the tally for 2024 up to $6.5bn – a comparable awards total to those of 2022 and 2023. There is then an additional $15bn-worth of projects in design and due for award in 2024 on the basis of announced and expected delivery timeframes.

If the value of projects under bid and just a third of the projects under design and also provisionally due for award in 2024 are let as expected, it will be a record year for hotel project awards in the region.

Saudi investment spree

Looking at the $54bn-worth of projects split by market, the pipeline is dominated by the touristic megaprojects currently under development in Saudi Arabia, which account for $39.9bn or 74% of the total value of upcoming work.

The hotel and resort projects in the kingdom are in turn heavily weighted towards several provinces that have been targeted for touristic development. These include Tabuk Province, which has $12.6bn-worth of upcoming hospitality-linked projects as part of the Neom and Red Sea Project developments; the Medina and Mecca provinces, which together hold $16.4bn-worth of upcoming schemes linked to the annual Hajj and Umrah tourism industry; Riyadh, with $7.1bn-worth of upcoming work, including that linked to the Qiddiya masterplan; and smaller values in Asir, the Eastern Province and others.

In recent months, several hotel schemes have been announced in the kingdom. In late February, Neom announced plans for a Raffles-branded property at its Trojena mountain resort development. The hotel will be located in the Discover cluster of the resort and is slated to open in 2027. The first hotel projects at Trojena are meanwhile well under way, with local contractor Isam Khairi Kabbani Group beginning work in December on the estimated $100m Chedi Trojena, with completion expected in 2026.

In early March, Red Sea Global (RSG) announced plans for a Four Seasons hotel at its Triple Bay development at Amaala, with Dubai-based U+A Architects, owned by the French engineering firm Egis, as project architect. Four Seasons has also announced other upcoming projects in the kingdom, including a Red Sea project at Shura Island, another at Neom’s Sindalah Island and projects on the Jeddah Corniche and at Diriyah, outside of Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Holding Company has a 24% stake in Four Seasons, alongside majority shareholder Cascade Investment.

March also saw work begin on Neom’s Epicon Towers – a technically complex twin-tower hotel – with enabling works being undertaken by the local Ammico Contracting. Previously known as the Gas Station Hotel, the design for the project was developed by Singapore’s Meinhardt Group, with the Hong Kong-based 10 Design serving as the lead consultant on the project.

These upcoming schemes are set to join $7.8bn-worth of Saudi hotel projects awarded in the past three years, including $1.8bn-worth of awards in Tabuk. In July 2023, RSG awarded a contract at Triple Bay to the local Mas Engineering for the construction of the Marina Lifestyle Hotel & Village. In May, RSG contracted a joint venture of Egypt’s Hassan Allam Holding and the local Rawabi Specialised Contracting to construct the Triple Bay Rosewood Hotel.

Also in Tabuk, Hilton International opened its first Hampton hotel in March, having jointly developed the project with the Riyadh-based Cayan Group. The project was awarded in January 2022 to local contractor BEC Arabia, with Egypt’s Sabbour Consulting acting as project manager.

Elsewhere in the kingdom, the Public Investment Fund-backed Dan Company also tendered three hotels to be operated by Hilton at its Palm One project, a farm-based tourism destination in Al Ahsa. The deadline for bid submissions is 30 April. Hong Kong-based LWK Partners is the lead designer for the project.

Broader regional spending

In a prominent example of government-led hotel and resort development activity outside of Saudi Arabia, Oman has recently been progressing several new touristic masterplans.

Oman’s Heritage & Tourism Ministry issued a tender in February inviting consultants to bid to develop a tourism project masterplan for the Remal Al Sharqiyah dunes of North and South Al Sharqiyah. The tender was issued on 27 February, with a bid submission deadline of 17 April.

Earlier in February, Oman’s Housing & Urban Planning Ministry (MHUP) also revealed the designs for a new $2.4bn development on Jebel Al Akhdar named the Omani Mountain Destination and masterplanned by Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRealis.

The same month, the MHUP also announced the $1.3bn Al Khuwair Downtown and Waterfront project in Muscat, engaging Zaha Hadid Architects for the project design alongside real estate consultant CBRE.

In the UAE, much of the hotel and resort development is proceeding in a more piecemeal manner, with a greater number of smaller, more discrete touristic schemes. One major development in November was Dubai developer Al Wasl’s award of the $1.3bn contract to build The Island to China State Construction Engineering Corporation in the largest construction contract in Dubai since 2017.

The Island is a 10.5-hectare reclaimed island that will feature MGM, Bellagio and Aria branded hotels. The local APCC was the earthworks contractor, with the project being managed by Germany’s Buro Kling Architectural Engineering Consulting and the local Consultant HSS.

Another recent example of UAE project activity was Modon Properties’ award in November of the contract for a four-star sports hotel on Abu Dhabi’s Al Hudayriyat Island to Trojan General Contracting. The UK’s Atkins is the project consultant, with Canada’s Ellisdon as the project management consultant.

What is apparent from all of this activity is the clear strengthening of hotel project development as regional governments pursue tourism investments both as a long-term economic diversification strategy and one that dovetails with robust and rising visitor traffic to the region.

As long as these trends remain, strong ongoing government and private sector investment in hospitality-linked projects can be expected, and with it, the delivery of the region’s $54bn hotel project pipeline by 2030.

GCC becomes a top tourist destination

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John Bambridge

Exclusive from Meed

Tender issued for Libyan gas project
17 September 2026
Nakheel awards $218m Dubai Islands buildings deal
17 September 2026
Aldar and Mubadala acquire Masdar City Square
17 September 2026
Dubai announces new 80km highway corridor
16 September 2026
Contractors submit Expo 2030 convention centre interest
16 September 2026

Tender issued for Libyan gas project
17 September 2026
An invitation to bid has been issued for a contract to conduct environmental assessments for the project to expand the Mellitah oil and gas complex in Libya.

The bid submission deadline is 2pm today (17 September) Libyan time.

The scope of the project includes provision of:
- An environmental baseline study (EBS)
- An environmental impact assessment (EIA)
- An environmental management plan (EMP)
The client is Mellitah Oil & Gas (MOG), which is a joint venture of Italy’s Eni and Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC).

MOG is based in Tripoli and operates both onshore and offshore oil and gas facilities.

The joint venture owns and operates six major oil and gas fields across the North African country.

According to the tender documents, the company that is awarded the contract will need to prepare environmental management measures in compliance with:
- Libyan environmental legislation
- Ministry of Environment requirements
- NOC environmental guidelines
- Applicable international environmental standards and best practices
The expansion of the Mellitah oil and gas complex is part of a project estimated to be worth $8bn.

The wider project is known as the Mellitah Complex Expansion & CO2 Management Integrated Development Project.

It has six main packages:
- Onshore package
- Offshore Structure A
- Offshore Structure E
- Subsea pipeline package
- Site preparation work
- Carbon capture and storage facility
Security issues and political instability have been a major problem for Libya’s oil and gas sector since the country’s civil war started in 2011.

Earlier this month, the Mellitah oil and gas complex was forced to shut down temporarily due to a protest over deteriorating public services.

The existing onshore complex includes housing, processing units, storage facilities and export facilities.

It also serves as the launch point for the Greenstream pipeline, which delivers Libyan gas directly to Italy.

The planned expansion of the complex will involve:
- Construction of a new fourth gas processing train
- Construction of a third condensate train
- Construction of a third natural gas liquids fractionation train
- Construction of a fourth sulphur recovery unit train
- Installation of a hydrogen sulphide enrichment unit
- Installation of a sulphur recovery unit
- Construction of other associated facilities
The Mellitah complex is located about 100 kilometres west of Tripoli and is a key energy facility in the west of the country.
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Wil Crisp

Nakheel awards $218m Dubai Islands buildings deal

17 September 2026

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Dubai-based developer Nakheel, now part of Dubai Holding, has awarded a main construction contract worth more than AED800m ($218m) for phases one and three of Bay Grove Residences at Dubai Islands.

The contract was awarded to the local firm Metac General Contracting Company.

It covers the construction of 537 apartments, comprising one- to four-bedroom units, across seven residential buildings.

Phase one includes 296 units in four buildings, while phase three comprises 241 units across three buildings.

The works are scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Bay Grove Residences will ultimately comprise 1,154 homes across 15 buildings. Planning is under way for the remaining 617 homes in phases two and four, with further contract awards expected.

In August last year, Nakheel awarded a AED2.6bn ($708m) contract to Abu Dhabi-based Fibrex Contracting to build the Bay Villas project at Dubai Islands. The contract includes constructing 636 villas.

In April this year, another AED527m ($143m) contract was awarded to local firm Al-Nasr Contracting Company to construct the primary infrastructure and utilities works on Island B at the development.

The Dubai Islands development consists of five islands spanning 18.6 square kilometres. It features more than 59 kilometres (km) of waterfront and 20km of beaches, as well as parks, golf courses, promenades and cycling paths.

The offshore island project gained renewed momentum in 2022, when Nakheel unveiled a new masterplan and rebranded it as Dubai Islands.

The reclaimed islands were originally part of the Palm Deira project, which was partially completed before being put on hold in 2008.

READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

Nuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.

Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

> AGENDA: Gulf nuclear revival takes shape

> MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive under fire

> INDUSTRY REPORT: Gas processing takes centre stage in Mena region

> INTERVIEW: Emsteel persists with business productivity and efficiency

> TUNNELS: The Gulf’s next construction boom is happening underground

To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here

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Yasir Iqbal

Aldar and Mubadala acquire Masdar City Square
17 September 2026

Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company and local developer Aldar have completed the acquisition of Masdar City Square at Masdar City, in a transaction valued at AED918m ($250m).

The deal was executed through their joint venture established in 2024.

Masdar City Square comprises more than 47,000 square metres (sq m) of net leasable area across seven office buildings.

Completed in Q1 2026, the development is 99% occupied. Tenants include Taqa, the Department of Energy, Emirates College and the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.

The transaction expands the joint venture’s real estate portfolio in Masdar City, which is now valued at AED4.7bn ($1.3bn).

Masdar City is one of the region’s leading hubs for clean energy, artificial intelligence, advanced research and sustainable urban development.

The joint venture acquired The Link project at Masdar City for AED654m ($178m) in April.

Comprising about 32,000 sq m of net leasable area across five buildings, The Link is fully leased to a portfolio of major tenants, including Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.

The asset includes Grade A, Leed Platinum office space, a net-zero-energy headquarters building, a multi-use hall and residential accommodation, supporting its position as a high-performing, integrated component of Masdar City.

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Yasir Iqbal
Dubai announces new 80km highway corridor
16 September 2026

Dubai has approved the construction of the new fourth corridor, a major highway programme aimed at boosting inter-emirate connectivity, increasing road capacity and easing congestion.

The corridor will extend 80 kilometres, from Al-Faya Road in Abu Dhabi to Al-Shanouf Road in Sharjah.

It will include 12 lanes, 72 bridges and 17 tunnels.

The project is expected to reduce travel times by up to 60% and serve more than 3.1 million people, while providing links to Al-Maktoum International airport and Etihad Rail.

It will have the capacity to accommodate 24,000 vehicles per hour in each direction.

The project will be delivered in two phases. The first phase, running from Al-Shanouf Road to Dubai-Al Ain Road, will be delivered at a cost of AED3.5bn ($953m).

The second phase will stretch from Dubai-Al Ain Road to Al-Faya Road in Abu Dhabi.

Hamdan bin Mohammed: In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to boost investment in infrastructure, I approved the New Fourth Corridor to strengthen Dubai’s road network and enhance connectivity with the UAE’s federal road network.… pic.twitter.com/zlIyY2yKBN

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) September 16, 2026

The scheme adds a fourth spine to a network that has long relied on three main corridors: the E11 (Sheikh Zayed Road/Al-Ittihad Road); the E311 (Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road) and the E611 (Emirates Road), which together carry more than 850,000 vehicles commuting between Dubai and the northern emirates daily.

That concentration has made the route one of the country’s most congested, with peak-hour bottlenecks a persistent problem for residents. The new corridor is designed to divert a significant share of that traffic onto a higher-capacity route, rather than add pressure to the existing network.

The project also aligns with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which anticipates population growth to 5.8 million by 2040 and calls for the expansion of roads, railways, airports and ports to support that growth and reinforce Dubai’s position as a global trading hub. This is reflected in the corridor’s direct links to Al-Maktoum International airport and Etihad Rail.

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Yasir Iqbal

Contractors submit Expo 2030 convention centre interest

16 September 2026

Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access

Expo 2030 Riyadh Company (ERC), responsible for delivering the Expo 2030 Riyadh venue, received contractor interest on 14 September for a contract to design and build a convention centre in the site's Collaboration District.

Construction is slated to begin in January 2027 and take 29 months. The development will cover a total gross external area of more than 28,000 square metres (sq m). The total programme area will be about 22,000 sq m and the gross floor area will be 17,000 sq m. The maximum height of the building will be 41.5 metres.

The venue will be laid out across two levels, with a mezzanine, roof terraces and a 4,030 sq m basement, in addition to mechanical, electrical and plumbing and back-of-house spaces.

Two flexible exhibition halls are planned, covering a combined 7,280 sq m, as well as 3,800 sq m of pre-function space, 650 sq m dedicated to meeting rooms and 2,200 sq m of outdoor exhibition space in the north and south plazas.

The appointed main contractor will assume responsibility for packages including the early works substructure and the lead design consultant's deliverables, while carrying out the full scope of superstructure, above-ground waterproofing, external facades, masonry, base build and specialised fit-outs for VVIP, VIP and visitor areas.

Further scope includes delivering comprehensive MEP services; vertical transportation; final infrastructure tie-points; public-realm hard and soft landscaping; testing, commissioning, handover documentation; and management of the defects liability period.

The expression of interest notice was floated on 13 September.

The unusually brief expression of interest deadline of just one day underscores a compressed procurement timeline.

This accelerated tender and evaluation schedule signals that project organisers are operating under time pressure to secure contractors and maintain the tight schedule required ahead of the event's opening.

ERC expects to award the formal contract by the end of this year and begin construction in January next year.

The project is due for completion in early 2030, in time for the main event in October of that year.

Site progress

Construction activity at the Expo site is accelerating, with Riyadh moving to award its first major vertical contracts and advancing infrastructure works across the programme.

Earlier this month, MEED exclusively reported that ERC has tendered a contract to deliver the Souq areas within the expo site.

These areas are divided into five precincts, with a total development area of about 300,000 sq m.

In September, Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Riyadh City awarded a design-and-build contract for the construction of a new metro station catering to the Expo 2030 site.

In April, ERC awarded two contracts for the next phase of infrastructure works at the site to local firm Alyamama Company.

The scope covered the construction of road networks and infrastructure for water, sewage, electricity, telecommunications and electric vehicle (EV) charging.

These awards followed ERC’s January award of an estimated SR1bn ($267m) contract for initial infrastructure works at the site to local firm Nesma & Partners.

That scope covered about 50 kilometres of integrated infrastructure networks, including internal roads and essential utilities such as water, sewage, electrical and communications systems and EV charging stations.

The masterplan covers 6 square kilometres, making it one of the largest sites ever designated for a World Expo event. Situated north of the Saudi capital, the site will be located near the future King Salman International airport and will provide direct access to landmarks within Riyadh.

The Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth vehicle, launched ERC – a wholly owned subsidiary – in June 2025 to build and operate facilities for Expo 2030.