Abu Dhabi hotel rooms could see 90% growth

Abu Dhabi could see a further 90 percent growth in its hotel offerings if all the rooms currently in its construction pipeline are built, latest data has revealed. Hotel room growth in the UAE capital would rise by 90.3 percent if all 13,534 rooms are built, STR Global said in its new Construction Pipeline Report. The influx of new properties could signal further declines in hotel rates in Abu Dhabi which have fallen 15 percent in the last year, sending the UAE capital plummeting down a list of the world\'s most expensive tourism hotspots. Average hotel room rates fell from £185.62 ($301) to £158.07 ($256.38), according to a survey by international corporate services company Hogg Robinson Group, as the city saw a big increase in new hotel properties coming online.Two years ago Abu Dhabi was the world’s second most expensive city for hotel rooms, but declining rates have seen the emirate drop to 24th place this year.Overall, the Middle East/Africa hotel development pipeline comprised 463 hotels totalling 126,090 rooms, according to STR Global. As well as Abu Dhabi, other countries to report significant expected room growth were Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which could see 87.6 percent growth with 5,531 rooms, and Dubai (44.6 percent growth with 26,642 rooms).STR Global also said Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was expected to see hotel rooms increase by 44.6 percent with 2,733 rooms in the construction pipeline while Muscat, Oman is likely to see a 37.5 percent growth with 6,049 rooms being built. Hotel revenues in Abu Dhabi rose six percent in July compared to the same month last year as tourist numbers reached record highs. Some 189,486 guests stayed in the emirate\'s hotels and hotel apartments in July, accounting for 507,612 guest nights, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority said earlier this month. The performance pushed occupancy levels up nine percent to 65 percent and overall revenue up to $74.2m, it added. The first seven months of this year has seen Abu Dhabi welcome 1,231,290 hotel guests - a 15 percent increase on the same period last year, which equates to 3,604,233 guest nights. Year-to-date occupancy levels are up 10 percent to 70 percent, while revenues are up six percent to $690m, ADTA added.Abu Dhabi tourism bosses said this month that they remain confident of welcoming more than two million visitors to the emitate this year.