Dubai: Marriott International is keen on expanding its presence in the UAE, especially to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, according to Arne Sorenson, president and chief executive of the US-based hotel chain.

“What you see in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is a market that is at a global crossroads because of the airlines but also because of the destinations that have been built here. We see a substantial increase in global traffic and with it the growth of their economies. I would think that as a consequence, we will see our opportunities grow in these places,” Sorenson told Gulf News on the sidelines of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) in Dubai on Wednesday.

Marriott has 13 hotels in the UAE pipeline, which are expected to open by 2020. Sorenson expects the company to reach its target of having 10,000 rooms in Dubai in the next five years.

In Abu Dhabi, the chain expects to open an Edition-branded hotel in 2016. Another hotel under the same brand could open in Dubai, according to Sorenson.

Elsewhere in the UAE, Marriott recently signed its first hotel in Ras Al Khaimah, which is set to open in the first quarter of 2018, he said.

Marriott has 164 hotels open in the Middle East and Africa featuring 25,000 rooms, and 80 properties in the pipeline, with around 15,000 rooms.

Nine of its 19 brands are in the Middle East. Asked when the remaining brands will enter the region, Sorenson said: “I don’t expect that we will have 19 brands here anytime soon. We don’t really have the same need for them in some respects.”

He expects the Middle East to account for 4 per cent of the company’s total revenue in 2015.

On the purpose of Sorenson’s visit to Dubai, he said: “I’ve had about a week in the Middle East, including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Dubai. In each place, there are a number of different things that we’re focused on but I think it usually includes speaking with existing and prospective owners as we look at growth across the region.”

Earlier this week, Sorenson met with Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, to discuss the company’s future expansion plans in the region, including Dubai.

He also met with Khalaf Al Habtoor, chairman of Dubai-based conglomerate Al Habtoor Group, to discuss further collaboration.

Earlier this year the Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa joined Marriott International’s Autograph Collection.