Dubai: Marriott International announced growth plans for its Middle East and Africa region following signings for more than 30 properties in the last 12 months.

The hotel company said that in the next five years, it plans to increase its portfolio in the region by 50 per cent, debut additional brands as well add 30,000 new jobs.

The move will amount to more than 80,000 rooms across 21 brands in the region. It added that the projects signed will drive investment of an estimated $1.8 billion (Dh6.61 billion) by the property owners.