The third annual AHIC Hotel Investment Forecast has revealed more than US$23 billion worth of hotel construction contracts are scheduled to be awarded in the Middle East and North Africa between now and 2023.

Aleph Hospitality has revealed plans to grow its portfolio to 35 properties by 2025 as demand for alternative management models gains momentum. A boom in supply coupled with challenging trading conditions is driving hotel owners to look at new ways to streamline overheads and ensure lean, profitable operations.

Having picked up the Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award during the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Ras al Khaimah, Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi, chief executive of Millennium Hotels & Resorts in the Middle East & Africa, can look back at a successful event. Here we find out more about this industry leading figure

Having just signed for a new tented camp property in the mountains of Ras al Khaimah, Adrian Gardnier, founder of Mantis Collection, tells us more about the deal during the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference. Also on the agenda is a recent deal with Accor and the global ambitions it has given the company.

As its acquisition-led growth continues, Breaking Travel News speaks to Mark Willis, chief executive in the Middle East for AccorHotels, about what the company’s growing portfolio of brands is able to bring to the hospitality sector in the region. He also tells about his ambitions for development in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Breaking Travel News speaks to Olivier Harnisch, chief executive of Emaar Hospitality Group, about the changing configuration of the hospitality market in the Middle East during the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Ras al Khaimah. With Expo 2020 on the horizon, he also tells us how important the event is likely to be for tourism in Dubai.