Dubai: Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with the Iraq-based Mihtab Group to develop the first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Erbil, Iraq.
The move is in line with the company’s plans to expand operations in Iraqi Kurdistan, Northern Iraq, Hilton said in a statement on Monday.
Expected to open in 2016, the 300-room Hilton Erbil Hotel & Spa will be will be the second Hilton Worldwide property in Erbil following the 2011 announcement to develop the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton in the city.
“Establishing a strong presence in Kurdistan supports our ambitious strategy to open a further 40 hotels in the Middle East & Africa within the next four years,” Rudi Jagersbacher, President, Hilton Worldwide, Middle East & Africa, said in a statement.
Added Dave Horton, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts: “Iraq is a significant new market for our brand. Hilton Erbil Hotel & Spa is set to be a landmark property.”
Hilton Worldwide currently operates 56 hotels in the Middle East & Africa, totalling more than 16,500 rooms across 19 countries. Besides, the company has signed development pipeline of an additional 47 properties across Middle East & Africa in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Uganda, Nigeria, Chad, Tanzania, Burundi and Cape Verde.
