Anantara World Islands resort shut, Minor Hotels confirms

Resort shuts following review, operator keeps focus on UAE growth plans

Last updated:
Nivetha Dayanand, Assistant Business Editor
Anantara world islands
Anantara world islands
Anantara world islands

Dubai: Anantara World Islands Dubai Resort has ceased operations, bringing a pause to one of the more distinctive hospitality concepts within Dubai’s World Islands development.

Minor Hotels confirmed in a statement that the resort stopped operating on April 10, following a joint decision with owner Seven Tides Ltd. The property had been positioned as a private island retreat, offering a high-end alternative to mainland resorts and attracting both international visitors and UAE residents.

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Decision follows operational review

The operator framed the move within a wider assessment of operating conditions, pointing to a combination of external factors rather than a single trigger.

“Minor Hotels confirms that Anantara World Islands Dubai Resort ceased operations on 10 April 2026. This decision was taken in alignment with the owning entity, Seven Tides Ltd., following careful consideration.”

“The closure is the result of a combination of external factors and is not attributable to any single issue. While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, our immediate focus is on supporting our team members through this transition.”

A niche within a broader tourism mix

Dubai’s hospitality market continues to expand across segments, from large-scale beachfront resorts to boutique and experiential stays. Island-based properties form a smaller, more specialised part of that mix, often appealing to travellers seeking privacy and curated experiences.

The World Islands project has seen gradual progress, with select developments opening and others evolving to match changing tourism patterns. Operators in this space continue to refine offerings to align with guest expectations, travel trends and cost structures.

Focus remains on UAE growth

Minor Hotels emphasised that its presence in the UAE remains strong, with several established properties continuing to operate across key locations.

“Minor Hotels remains committed to its portfolio in the UAE, including Dukes The Palm, NH Collection Dubai The Palm; Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort; and Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai, as well as the continued growth of its brands across the region.”

Nivetha Dayanand
Nivetha DayanandAssistant Business Editor
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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