Ras Al Khaimah will have close to 12,800 hotel rooms in the next five years, the CEO of the emirate’s Tourism Development Authority, Raki Phillips, said on Thursday. The emirate now has 8,130 hotel rooms.
The 12,747 rooms will provided by more than 50 hotels and resorts that offer the highest levels of service to visitors, he said.
In an interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Phillips said that the emirate has focussed on establishing a world-class infrastructure that includes the best hotels and resorts, noting that it now has 10 five-star hotels, nine four-star hotels, seven hotel-apartments, and 24 other accredited accommodation.
RAKTDA aims to promote hospitality offers over the next five years, add 4,617 rooms and encourage the construction of several new hotels, including Marriott, Anantara, Westin, Rove and Sofitel hotels, he added.
Phillips also noted that the emirate is diversifying its hospitality options, by establishing accommodation on Jebel Jais, including the Earth Hotels Altitude, a temporary hotel concept that is due to opening next year, as well as the Mantis Group’s ‘Saij Lodge’, a mountain destination that will offer relaxation, entertainment and guided tours.
Another addition is the Cloud7 Camp Jebel Jais, which will offer guests a luxurious camping experience with 30 accommodation units built from sustainable materials.
Phillips also announced plans to inaugurate an integrated project in 2026 on Marjan Island worth billions of dollars, which will be located on an area measuring 250,000 sq. m, with over 1,000 rooms and retail stores.
Ras Al Khaimah is a leading international destination for tourism and investment, and is one of the most diverse emirates in the country, he stressed.
The emirate received over a million visitors in 2019, approaching pre-pandemic levels in 2022, and is on track to cross one million tourists by the year-end.
The emirate welcomed over 521,085 international and domestic visitors between January and June 2022, up more than 21 per cent from the same period a year earlier.