Region property owners invested $1.8bn in Marriott hotels in last year
Marriott: We’ll add 30,000 jobs over five years in Middle East and Africa
Marriott International has revealed that 30 projects signed in the last 12 months helped to drive investment to an estimated $1.8 billion by property owners in the Middle East and Africa.
Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International, said that the 30 new properties added over 5,000 rooms to its portfolio and the company is on track to increase its presence by 50% to 370 hotels over the next five years. This will amount to more than 80,000 rooms across 21 brands and create 30,000 new jobs across the region.
“It is a really exciting time for the Middle East and Africa region’s travel and tourism sector. With clear and ambitious visions set out by regional governments to grow and invest in the sector, the industry is thriving more than ever,” said Kyriakidis. “At Marriott International, we are proud that we and our owners are opening a huge range of jobs, as well as contributing to the ongoing growth and diversification of the region’s economy.”
He added: “Marriott International’s growth in the region is a result of consistently delivering value to our owners. Our long-established presence in the region, global footprint, compelling portfolio of diverse brands, award-winning loyalty programs and strength of our distribution platforms continue to position us at the forefront, enabling us to leverage trends to benefit our stakeholders in the region.
“We remain focused on working with our owners to identify synergies and increase efficiencies across hotels by implementing shared services, remote solutions, complexing of hotels where relevant and possible and by bringing state-of-the-art technology to leverage scale, ultimately improving profitability.”
According to Samir Baidas, chief development officer, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International, the region continues to present immense development opportunities for the company: “to strengthen its competitive position across established and fast-growing markets. Our growth plans across the Middle East and Africa not only reflect the high demand for our brands, but also the trust ownership groups have in Marriott International.”
