Marriott International to create 5,000 Jobs in the UAE

Marriott International said it expects to add 11 new properties in the UAE by year-end, with a robust development outlook over the next five years.

Year-to-date, the company has added six new properties and is scheduled to add five more in the country - bringing its portfolio in the UAE to 59 properties and over 17,000 rooms across six Emirates by the end of the year. 

Two of the company’s openings this year feature regional brand debuts - the eco-conscious Element Hotels brand, which opened earlier this year in Dubai, and the EDITION brand, which is scheduled to open in Abu Dhabi later this year, Marriott said in a statement.

The company added that it plans to further enhance its footprint in the UAE with the addition of more than 20 new properties in the next five years. The company expects this development pipeline could generate over 5,000 new jobs in the country.

Arne Sorenson, president and CEO, Marriott International said: “Our success in the Middle East stems from our long-established presence in the market and the value we deliver to our owner-partners. It is the trust owners have in Marriott International, combined with our differentiated brands and collective strength of our global platform, that has put us in a position to further expand our portfolio in the country and strengthen guest loyalty.”

He added: “We are privileged to have the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing growth and diversification of the UAE’s economy and remain committed to supporting the direction of its visionary leaders to further enhance the tourism sector.”

He said 2018 has been a milestone year for Marriott International in the UAE, with the company anticipating having added over 2,600 rooms by year-end.

The company said it is also seeing an increased demand for branded residences in the UAE and across the region. Across the Middle East and Africa, Marriott currently operates three branded residential properties, including the Bulgari Residences in Dubai, and anticipates to more than double its residential portfolio in the region with eight projects scheduled to open by 2022.

Marriott International to create 30,000 new jobs

Marriott International announced growth plans for its the Middle East and Africa region following signings for more than 30 properties in the last 12 months and to create 30,000 new jobs across the region over the next five years.

The news came as the group announced ambitious growth plans for the Middle East and Africa region following signings for more than 30 properties and over 5,000 rooms in the last 12 months.

 The signings put Marriott on track to increase its portfolio in the region to nearly 370 hotels an increase of more than 50% over the next five years. This will amount to more than 80,000 rooms across 21 brands, including the introduction in the region of brands such as Edition, Element and AC Hotels by Marriott.

“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 Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International.

“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.”

Marriott International’s announcement of its growth plans in the region comes ahead of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference, which has centred its 2018 theme on “Focus on the Future.”

During the annual event, Kyriakidis will join the Regional Leaders in the Hot Seat panel session to discuss how hotel operators are supporting owners and adjusting to a maturing and shifting regional market.

“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, a 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,” added Kyriakidis.

 “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.”