Three-year-old Abu Dhabi-based Jannah Hotels and Resorts is planning to expand to Ras Al Khaimah this year. The hotel operator, majority-owned by Abu Dhabi’s Bin Rubayeh Group, will manage the Jannah Resort and Villas as of December. The development is located in Rak Properties’ seafront Mina Al Arab project.
The company’s interest in the Emirate is understandable. As of the end of May, STR reported that Ras Al Khaimah had about 5,000 hotel rooms from 20 properties, with a pipeline of 16 properties including 4,400 rooms.
"Ras Al Khaimah is close to Dubai, and we can have packages for people staying in Dubai as well as Ras Al Khaimah: it has an airport, and today it is not an overcrowded or oversupplied market," Nehme Darwiche, CEO of Jannah Hotels and Resorts. "For an investor, now is the perfect time to penetrate the market."
In 2020, Jannah Hotels and Resorts also expects to open a mixed-use high-rise tower in Sharjah that would include a hotel, hotel apartments, retail space and offices. The property will be owned by the Bin Rubayeh Group.
After 2018, Jannah Hotels could expand outside the UAE. Saudi Arabia and Morocco would be key focus markets.
Jannah Hotels manages Jannah Burj Al Sarab in Abu Dhabi, serviced apartments Jannah Eastern Mangroves Suites and Jannah Place Abu Dhabi, while in Dubai it operates Jannah Marina Bay Suites and Jannah Place Dubai Marina.