Rotana - the leading hotel management company in the Middle East and Africa - has announced it will participate at the Arabian Travel Market for the 15th year on a row.

Last year the group was recognised by the World Travel Awards as the Middle East’s Leading Hotel Brand.

The decision comes as the industry leading brand seeks to further strengthen its presence and to support its expansion plans reaching a portfolio of 70 properties by 2012.

Since inception, the company has grown to be the region’s largest hospitality management company, and a brand that is widely recognised and much admired.

Rotana is geared towards another challenging year, as we continue to develop. The expansion is taking us into new markets such as Bahrain, Baghdad, Jordan, Oman, Iraq, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Commenting on this participation, Omer Kaddouri, COO for Rotana said: “Rotana will be exhibiting at the ATM amongst a large number of International and high profile companies and the major Middle East Tourism boards.

“Our participation at ATM will strengthen our presence and will definitely support Rotana’s expansion plans.

Abu Dhabi-based Rotana is pushing ahead with its expansion plans in 2011, buoyed by improving conditions in the hospitality industry in the Middle East and Africa region.

Revealed for the first was the total size of investment managed by Rotana to open in 2011, reaching a staggering number of over 800 million dollars.

Rotana announced that it will open six new hotels in the UAE in 2011, bringing its total to 33 in the emirates, the largest by any single hotel brand, local or foreign.

Rotana is also scheduled to open one new hotel in Qatar as part of an aggressive, yet tactical expansion strategy in the region that will see the hotel group managing a massive 12,515 rooms across its portfolio of hotels in the region by the end of 2011.

“The last few months have seen the hospitality industry in the Middle East and Africa registering positive growth,” said Mr Kaddouri.

“We see that momentum being sustained as general business conditions improve across the board.”