Canada's Fairmont Hotels and Resorts said it is planning to add 14 hotels in the Middle East by 2014, focusing on Saudi Arabia, as it looks to tap into regional growth."The Middle East is our primary focus for development," said Kent Cooper, vice president for regional hotel sales, told reporters on Tuesday.
The Middle East, despite being impacted by the global downturn, still shows resilience over the past year with revenue dropping less than other regions, industry figures showed.
"Saudi has to be our No.1 market for development at this point," said Cooper. "It has a large critical mass, huge influx of travellers, the built-in demand drivers, and it helps us support our partnerships with our shareholders."