Hotelier Middle East – May 2019

BULLETIN

8 HOTELIER MIDDLE EAST | May 2019 | Volume 18 Issue 05

EXPANSION IGH is continuing

growth momentum in the region

and is expanding the midscale,

upscale and luxury brands

segments presence in Sub-

Saharan Africa.

In order to execute this, the

hotel group has signed a Master

Development Agreement with

Valor Hospitality Partners Africa,

to roll out multiple franchise

hotels over the next 10 years,

across IHG’s portfolio of brands

in midscale, upscale and luxury

segments.

The agreement will see

IHG expand its presence in

Sub-Saharan Africa, including

key countries such as South

Africa, Botswana, Mozambique,

Mauritius, Ethiopia, Zambia and

Kenya.

The development adds to IHG’s

growing pipeline in the Middle

East and Africa.

Valor Hospitality Partners Africa

is a subsidiary of Valor Hospitality

Partners Global that manages

EXPANSION Emirates has

introduced the first scheduled

Airbus A380 service to Saudi

Arabia’s capital city, which

will be effective 21 April

2019. Riyadh will be the 51st
      destination to join the Emirates
      A380 network.
      Flight EK 817/818, currently
      operated by a Boeing 777-
      300ER, will now be operated
      by Emirates A380 five times a

ACCOR,

MARRIOTT

THE LARGEST HOTEL

COMPANIES IN

THE MIDDLE EAST

34,

ROOMS

for Accor in the

Middle East

33,

ROOMS

for Marriott

International

100

new properties for Marriott

International by 2023

26,

rooms across the

region by the

end of 2023

$8 BILLION

investment

for Marriot

development

pipeline through

2023

Emirates A380 expands network to include Riyadh

Route makes Riyadh the 51st destination on Emirates A380 network

and asset manages projects

across America, the UK, Middle

East, South Africa and South East

Asia. IHG currently operate hotels

with Valor Hospitality Partners in

the United States and the UK.

Speaking about the

partnership, Pascal Gauvin,

managing director, India, Middle

East and Africa, IHG, said: “Valor

has been our long-term partner

in America and the UK for many

years; we are pleased to be

building our network with an

experienced existing operating

partner in new markets.

“This signing is in line with our

growth ambition in the region

and will add approximately 1000

rooms to our portfolio in the

African continent, primarily in

the midscale segment and select

hotels in upscale and luxury

segments,” he adds.

IHG signs agreement with Valor Hospitality

Partners Africa, rolls out multiple franchise hotels

week.

Speaking about it, Adil Al

Ghaith, senior vice president

commercial operations Gulf,

Middle East & Iran, said: “The

introduction of the A380 to

Riyadh also supports Saudi

Vision 2030 by helping to

grow the Kingdom’s aviation

sector through stimulating

robust traffic growth, increasing

connectivity and deepening its

global footprint.”

The Emirates A380 aircraft

serving the Dubai-Riyadh route

will be set in a three-class

configuration, with 429 seats in

economy on the main deck, 76

fully flatbed seats in business

class and 14 first class private

suites on the upper deck.

According to a statement,

Emirates has been facilitating

tourism and trade in the

Kingdom for more than 30

years,. Today the airline serves

these four gateways in the

Kingdom with 84 weekly flights

to Dubai.

The airline has previously

deployed two, one-off

A380 missions to Riyadh in

celebration of the Kingdom’s

National Days, and displayed

its A380 aircraft at the recent

Saudi International Airshow

2019.

5

new properties

in the region for and is expected

to add 14 more - bringing its

portfolio across the Middle

East and Africa to nearly

270