Vacation exchange leader RCI has confirmed the addition of two Middle East resorts to its worldwide exchange network.

The Wyndham Worldwide owned company is set to offer guests access to The Viking Club Hotel in Egypt and The Jdoudna Hotel in Syria from later this year.

“We are very pleased to expand our portfolio in the Middle East by welcoming The Viking Club Hotel and Jdoudna Hotel into the RCI network,” said Jonathan Back, managing director, RCI Europe, Middle East, Africa and India.

“These beautiful resorts are tremendous additions to the collection of vacations resorts we offer our RCI Weeks members.”

The announcement was made during the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) in Dubai, which was attended by senior executives from the developer and real estate sectors from around the globe.

A Shared Ownership Summit (SOS) was held during the event and was co-hosted by RCI.

The summit brought together leaders from the vacation ownership, fractional and private residence club industries. Discussions focused on the increasing relevance of shared ownership products to the continued growth and development of leisure products in the Middle East and North Africa.

Viking Club Hotel

The Viking Club Hotel in Sharm-el-Sheikh is situated within walking distance of the famous Na’ama Bay district and offers a spectacular view of the bay.

“RCI invented the exchange business over 35 years ago and has been the innovator and leader ever since,” said Viking Group chief executive Ramadan Abdel Rehim Haggag.

“Their diverse selection of compelling resorts the world over deliver high quality vacations to their members. Being associated with RCI was important to The Viking Club Hotel.”

Na’ama Bay features world-class shopping, a wide array of restaurants and an energetic night scene. The resort currently operates 180 units with a further 80 under construction as part of phase two of its development.

Jdoudna Hotel

The Jdoudna Hotel is located on the top of Syria’s Bloudan Mountains, 1,800 metres above sea level, offering a magnificent view of the Bloudan Valley.

The town, 65km northwest of Damascus and 85km from the Mediterranean, is surrounded by lush plantations of fruit trees during the summer and a covering of snow during the winter.

“We are very excited to partner with RCI as doing so adds significant value to our offering,” said Jdoudna Company chief George Mansour.

“RCI offers our owners access to over 4,000 terrific resorts around the world, enabling them to travel extensively throughout MENA and around the globe.

“We’re glad we could provide this service to our community.”

All vacation homes feature beautiful views, while the resort offers an indoor swimming pool, hot tub and the famous Jdoudna restaurant.

A recent 2010 report published by RCI’s consulting arm NorthCourse found Sharm-el-Sheikh was second only to Dubai as the preferred destination in which to own a vacation ownership interest.