Azizi to build 151 hotels in Dh75 billion Dubai hospitality expansion

Developer to add 60,000 hotel rooms across Dubai under major tourism push

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Dubai: Azizi Developments has begun the rollout of a Dh75 billion hospitality investment programme with the foundation of its first five-star hotel in Dubai, marking the start of a major expansion that will add tens of thousands of rooms to the emirate’s tourism sector.

The luxury property will rise within the Azizi Riviera community in Mohammed Bin Rashid City and represents the first step in a broader pipeline that will see the developer introduce 151 hotels across multiple segments.

Large hospitality pipeline taking shape

The project forms part of a much larger hospitality strategy being implemented by Azizi Developments through its dedicated hospitality arm.

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Plans include 100 four-star hotels, 50 five-star hotels and a single seven-star property. More than 90% of the portfolio will be located in Dubai.

Once completed, the developments are expected to add around 60,000 room keys to the emirate’s hospitality inventory while generating more than 75,000 jobs across the sector.

Several hotel projects are already progressing through various stages including design, development and construction. Azizi said the programme will be delivered through its in-house capabilities across development, construction and project management.

Luxury landmark planned on Sheikh Zayed Road

One of the most prominent projects within the portfolio will be a seven-star hotel located inside Burj Azizi, the developer’s planned landmark tower on Sheikh Zayed Road.

The skyscraper is expected to become the world’s second tallest building once completed and will introduce a new luxury hospitality destination in the city.

Mirwais Azizi, Founder and Chairman of Azizi Developments, said the investment reflects confidence in Dubai’s long term economic trajectory.

“Dubai has consistently proven itself to be one of the world’s most stable, forward-looking and opportunity-rich destinations. The emirate’s leadership has built an environment that inspires confidence among investors and developers, enabling bold projects that contribute to its global standing,” he said.

The developer views the hospitality expansion as a long term commitment aligned with the emirate’s tourism ambitions.

“Our Dh75 billion investment in hospitality reflects our long-term commitment to Dubai and our strong belief in its continued growth as a global tourism hub,” Azizi said.

The strategy also aims to support the emirate’s broader economic agenda guided by the leadership of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

“Guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, we remain fully aligned with the emirate’s economic and tourism ambitions, helping attract visitors from around the world while reinforcing Dubai’s reputation as a city that continues to set new global benchmarks,” Azizi said.

Training future hospitality workforce

The developer is also planning to launch the Azizi Hospitality Academy, an institution designed to train hospitality professionals and support the sector with skilled talent.

The academy aims to strengthen the hospitality workforce in the UAE by providing internationally recognised training programmes for future professionals entering the industry.

Azizi said the wider investment will introduce new hospitality experiences across multiple categories while supporting Dubai’s long term tourism expansion.

Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, covering aviation, financial markets and commodities. A business and financial journalist with a strong interest in multimedia storytelling, she regularly takes complex financial and economic subjects beyond the written word, producing explainer videos that make them easier for a wider audience to understand. Nivetha has interviewed senior policymakers, business leaders and global financial figures both on and off camera. Her past guests include UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, a member of the House of Saud and the founder and CEO of KBW Ventures, Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund and Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu. She has also hosted and moderated panels, conferences and awards shows, bringing her newsroom experience to live conversations on business, finance and the economy. An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha is drawn to stories that affect people directly and to reporting that gives a platform to voices that might otherwise go unheard. She was among the first journalists to speak to Petrofac employees in the UAE about unpaid salaries, broke the news of the planned demolition of Dubai’s well-known “Toyota Building”, and helped set the record straight on widely circulated claims that a giant replica of the Moon was coming to Dubai. More recently, her exclusive interview with EDGE Group CEO Hamad Al Marar revealed how the UAE-based defence group deployed its systems along the country’s shore border and established a geofence around the UAE within 48 hours of the February 28 escalation. Prior to joining Gulf News, Nivetha worked at ITP Media, where she helped launch Finance Middle East, a new publication covering the region’s financial sector. Her role spanned reporting and editing, video production, interviews and events. Across print, digital, and video, she focuses on finding the people behind business stories and explaining why those stories matter to the audience reading or watching them.

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