RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), will partner with Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) and Bench Events, organizers of AHIC, to host industry leaders at the 2010 Middle East Shared Ownership Summit.

The Shared Ownership Summit is part of the three-day AHIC programme which will take place 1 -3 May at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE, with the half-day Summit taking place on Saturday, 1 May. For a complete list of regional and international leaders who will be speaking at the Summit, please visit www.arabianconference.com.

Shared ownership refers to a set of leisure oriented real estate and hospitality products that include timeshare, fractional, private residence club and destination clubs. Timeshare, or vacation ownership as it is often called, is very well established in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) markets like Egypt with industry observers more recently noting the tremendous potential for both vacation ownership and fractional development in Dubai and other key Arabian Gulf leisure destinations.

Attendees will hear firsthand from the leaders of some of the most successful regional and global vacation ownership companies, whose experience will help highlight opportunities for growth in MENA. Similarly, leaders from companies who helped pioneer the luxury branded residential and private residence club concepts will serve as trend spotters as they consider how luxury brands will unlock value from real estate products in the future.

The Summit will offer significant value to timeshare and fractional developers as they share best practices, receive industry updates and explore new opportunities.

“The Shared Ownership Summit offers hospitality companies and mixed-use developers an efficient forum in which to better understand the immediate benefits and long-term value that vacation ownership can infuse in their overall business strategy,” said Jeff Tisdall, managing director, RCI MENA. “We are encouraged by the continued strong interest international vacation ownership companies are expressing in the Dubai market.

The Summit offers international companies a venue to explore opportunities to enter the regional market via partnership or through outright asset acquisition.”
“We are honoured to have such an experienced set of business leaders confirmed as Shared Ownership Summit speakers,” said Jonathan Worsley of Bench Events. “This really is an unprecedented gathering of vacation ownership, fractional and luxury residential development leaders.”

Summit attendees will not only receive a copy of the 2010 Shared Ownership Study including important global and regional industry updates, but also experience three essential panel discussions. The first panel will aim to provide attendees with the tools and insights they need to determine if now is the right time to add Shared Ownership to their business strategy. A second panel discussion focuses on the latest sales and marketing insights, solutions and alternative approaches to developing sales capabilities. The luxury segment discussion considers recent innovations in the category and takes a look forward to consider how luxury brands will unlock value from real estate products in the future.

“This is a very timely discussion as the Middle East and North Africa region has seen significant innovations in the luxury segment,” said Gregg Anderson, vice president, The Registry Collection program. “This is a great opportunity for firms to consider how they will position themselves to capture new opportunities in the future.”

In addition, Jeff Tisdall, managing director, RCI MENA, will offer a sneak preview of the Summit when he hosts a free webinar on 7 April. The webinar will share an advance look at trends and opportunities in hotel shared ownership and reveal the potential of timeshare, fractional and private residence club concepts to the real estate development and hospitality industry. Those interested in attending the free webinar can register at www.arabianconference.com/webinar.