Riu Dubai has opened at Deira Islands in Dubai, adding a new dimension to the hospitality offering in the emirate.

An 800-room joint venture between local developer Nakheel and RIU Hotels & Resorts of Spain, the property becomes the first four-star, 24-hour all-inclusive beachfront resort in the destination.

It is also the first hospitality joint venture for the Dubai-based company.

Riu Dubai has 800 rooms and suites, most with a sea view, and an abundance of dining and leisure facilities.

There are ten food and beverage outlets, a splash park, five swimming pools, water sports, a fitness centre, beauty salon and children’s club. 

Mohammed Al-Shaibani, chairman of Nakheel, said: “Nakheel has a long, successful history of creating and delivering a diverse range of tourism and leisure projects in line with government goals, and I am delighted to see our first hospitality joint venture come to fruition.

“The opening of Riu Dubai is a key milestone for Nakheel, Deira Islands and Dubai, and underlines our commitment to partnering with reputable, international brands to bring new and unique tourism concepts to the emirate.”

The opening of Riu Dubai coincides with the start of peak travel and events period in the United Arab Emirates, which includes the festive season and the world-famous Dubai Shopping Festival. 

Luis Riu, chief executive of RIU Hotels & Resorts, said: “The opening of the hotel Riu Dubai is a major milestone in our hotel chain’s international expansion, because this is our first hotel in the Middle East.

“This is a unique opportunity to offer all our experience with the 24-hour all-inclusive product – so popular among our European and American customers – in a completely new destination.

“We undertook this enterprise with Nakheel, the best partner you could imagine thanks to its extensive experience in master developments and large-scale destination projects, and its firm commitment to Dubai’s tourism sector.

“We are confident that Riu Dubai will be a huge success among our traditional European customers and those who will get to experience our brand for the first time.”

Deira Islands is a 15 square kilometre waterfront city which has added 40 kilometres of coastline to Dubai.