President of Tanzania to join panel at Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 2006

New destinations - and revitalised ones - will be discussed at a panel discussion featuring HE Jakaya Kikwete, the President of Tanzania, at the second Arabian Hotel Investment Conference at the end of April.

Alongside Kikwete, HE Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, will be putting his case for the rapidly-developing tourism industry in Abu Dhabi, and James Pringle, Senior Counselor for the M.A. Kharafi Group and Chief Executive Director for the Group’s activities at Port Ghalib, will discuss Egypt’s potential.

Tourism will continue to be the key driver of Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification, with new integrated developments such as at Al Raha Beach and Al Reem Island driving new tiers of investment in the capital. The emirate is looking to increase tourism numbers from almost a million in 2004, to more than 3 million by 2015.

Al Muhairi said, “It is essential that a proper tourism infrastructure is in place, which is why the new island and coastal projects are underway alongside the new airport terminal for example.

“The next few years will see us develop accommodation tiers, from the luxury hotels through to business hotels to accommodate the increasing business we are expecting from meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (the MICE sector).”

Port Ghalib is a gold sponsor of AHIC, and Pringle pointed to KPMG studies that highlighted the need for an integrated international destination resort community in Egypt.

According to Pringle, Port Ghalib will become Egypt's first high quality international level destination resort community, and will be on a par with destinations like Puerto Banus, Costasmeralda, and Port Grimaud.

Pringle said, “After a simple five minute drive to Port Ghalib from Marsa Alam International Airport and its growing direct link connectivity with European and regional source markets, Port Ghalib answers the planning, environmental, infrastructure and network challenges that other Egyptian resorts have had in the past.

“We saw the potential of the region, with the Red Sea, mountains and access to Upper Egypt and the historically rich Nile Valley, and when land was made available it was the perfect opportunity to develop a new properly planned, integrated and international level destination for Egypt that would allow Egypt to increase its share of higher yielding market segments.”

Port Ghalib has already opened its 500 berth International Marina, which will be upgraded to 1,000 berths by 2007, and the 200 room Coral Beach Diving Hotel, managed by Millennium Resorts and Hotels.

Set to open next year are the Budours Palace and the Sahara Sun resorts, developed by Sun International, and reflecting Sun’s theming approach to their resorts as seen at the highly successful Sun City resort in southern Africa.

Among the other attractions of the project are a 1.5km private beach with its offshore coral wall, one of world’s largest man-made lagoon pools at 14,000 sq metres in size, a 750-metre retail, dining and entertainment area in the heart of the Öld Port Khan and Corniche with 165 shops, galleries and boutiques and 22 restaurants and bars. Port Ghalib’s Old Port area also includes 480 prime residential units and a 3,000 capacity conference and exhibition centre.

This year’s Arabian Hotel Investment Conference will run under the theme Oasis or Mirage, as delegates and industry experts reflect and debate on the huge investment and project initiatives in the region – as well as their authenticity and sustainability.

Conference organiser Jonathan Worsley said, “The conference focus has always been geared towards investment, and to fast-track opportunities available in this forum. We will debate issues as diverse as economic and industry trends, investment opportunities, finance issues, construction and design, sustainable development, condos and management contracts.

The 2005 Arabian Hotel Investment Conference, held as a precursor to the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, was sold out with 525 delegates from the Middle East and around the world, and underlined the strong growth rate in the regional hotel sector.

The Arabian Hotel Investment Conference will run from April 29 - May 1, 2006 on the eve of Arabian Travel Market.

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