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In the next few years, Ras Al Khaimah’s hospitality sector is expected to create over 10,000 new job opportunities with the opening of several new hotels, including the prestigious Wynn Resorts brand.
“In total, Ras al Khaimah has 8,000 keys and we are looking at 450 additional rooms this year and over 1,000 next year. We are looking to double the number of rooms we have over the next five years,” said Raki Phillips, Chief Executive Officer, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.
In 2023, the emirate saw the opening of Intercontinental, Hampton and Movenpick opening their doors. This year, the emirate will have the Anantara Hotel opening in Mina Al Arab as well as the Sofitel Hotel opening in Al Hamra.
The hospitality market in the emirate will experience a significant boost with the investments announced by major players such as Aldar, Abu Dhabi National Hotels, and Emaar.
Wynn Resorts, a US-based hospitality brand, is set to launch a 1000+ room hotel in RAK in the next few years, complete with a gaming area and other amenities, at a cost of $3.9 billion. To manage the new properties, it is estimated that the hotels will hire over 10,000 new employees by 2030, if not sooner, according to Phillips.
2023 best year ever
Ras Al Khaimah recorded a 13 per cent increase in tourist numbers, reaching 1.13 million, surpassing its 2019 figures.
“We expect 2023 to be the best performing year ever. Multiple factors are driving the tourism growth such as the highest mountains in the UAE, 64km of white sand beaches, and also different elements from the new hotels that were opened,” he said.
The emirate is also an attractive destination for adventure tourism as it hosts the longest zipline, sky tour, Jais Ladder, and hiking trails among others.
“Emirate is transforming into a global destination. Wynn Resorts will have a tremendous impact on tourism. We believe that by the end of the decade, the emirate will be able to attract five million tourists a year,” he said.
Phillips revealed that a master plan of the entire emirate has been developed that will ensure sustainable development and also ensure that growth fits in the plans that the emirate has.
