• Gulf & Indian Ocean Hotel Investors’ Summit on 4 – 5 March 2023.

Abu Dhabi – Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, the capital’s premier five-star luxury city hotel, is gearing up to welcome hotel owners, investors, and industry leaders for an exclusive two-day networking and discussion forum at the seventh edition of the Gulf & Indian Ocean Hotel Investors’ Summit (GIOHIS).

Scheduled for March 4-5, 2024, this esteemed event gathers key players in the region's hospitality landscape to discuss trends, forge connections, and shape the future of the industry.

Organised by HOFTEL, the world’s only global hotel owners’ alliance, GIOHIS boasts an impressive lineup of almost 100 speakers, including influential figures in hospitality real estate and top executives from leading international hotel companies.

Among the distinguished speakers are renowned industry leaders such as Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor International; Klaus Assmann, CEO of Aldar Hotels and Hospitality; Khalid Anib, CEO of Abu Dhabi National Hotels; Alison Grinnell, CEO of RAK Hospitality Holding; Eisa Al-Eisa, CEO of Munshaat Real Estate Projects; Marloes Knippenberg, CEO of Kerten Hospitality, Hannah Yulo-Luccini, CEO of Hotel 101 Global; Alastair Thomann, CEO of Generator; and Jameel Verjee, CEO of CityBlue Hotels. 

Other highly senior participants include Hassan Ahdab, COO of Dur Hotels; Javier Águila, President EMEA for Hyatt; Abbas Al Saleh, Chairman of Afyaa Holding, Suchad Chiaranussati, Founder of SC Capital, and Prateek Kumar, Senior Vice President, Dusit Hotels and Resorts.

GIOHIS will be a truly international event, with attendees registered from Australia, India, Kuwait, the Maldives, Mauritius, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, the UK, and the USA.

“We are delighted to sponsor and host the Gulf & Indian Ocean Hotel Investors’ Summit 2024 at Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi hotel,” said Prateek Kumar, Senior Vice President, Dusit Hotels and Resorts. “This summit presents a unique opportunity to engage with industry leaders, share insights, and explore collaborative opportunities that drive innovation and excellence in the hospitality sector. We are privileged to be a part of this impactful initiative and contribute to shaping the future of our industry."

Simon Allison, CEO of hotel owners’ alliance HOFTEL, said, “2023 continued the boom for tourism in the GCC but with some obvious headwinds in terms of geopolitical instability, high interest rates and rising operating costs. We will talk about the future – the rise in hotel transactions, new deal and operating structures, new F&B concepts, new destinations, and the impact of AI and new technology. There’s a lot to discuss.”

To register for the event and for more information, please visit www.giohis.com.

About Dusit Hotels and Resorts

Dusit Hotels and Resorts is the hotel arm of Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies. With a heartfelt belief and commitment to introducing Thai-inspired gracious hospitality to the world, Dusit Hotels and Resorts offers guests a uniquely special stay in high-style surroundings and a personalised approach to service. The group’s portfolio of hotels, resorts and luxury villas includes more than 300 properties operating under a total of eight brands (Devarana – Dusit Retreats, Dusit Thani, Dusit Suites, Dusit Collection, dusitD2, Dusit Princess, ASAI Hotels, and Elite Havens) across 18 countries worldwide.

For more information, please visit dusit.com

About Dusit International

Established in 1948, Dusit International or Dusit Thani Public Company Limited (DUSIT) is a leading hospitality group listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Its operations comprise five distinct yet complementary business units: Dusit Hotels and Resorts, Dusit Hospitality Education, Dusit Foods, Dusit Estate, and Hospitality-Related Services. 

Dusit International’s diversified investments in real estate development, hospitality-related services, and the food sector are part of its long-term strategy for sustainable growth, which focuses on three key areas: balance, expansion and diversification.

For more information, please visit dusit-international.com

About HOFTEL and the HOFTEL Summit Series

HOFTEL (www.hoftel.com) is a global group for hotel owners who pay management or franchise fees to the brands (or get rent from them) and its focus is on sharing best practices, and comparing notes on challenges all hospitality property investors face. It has some of the world’s largest owners as members – including Blackstone, Katara, Brookfield, Invesco, Fortress, Union Investment, Aldar, Abu Dhabi National Hotels, Dur Hospitality, Red Sea Global, RAK Hospitality, Arenco, wasl, The First Group, Asset World Corp, Swire Hotels and Sun Hung Kai Hotels etc – at the other end of the spectrum - owners with just one or two properties.  It’s a club of friends, a network to exchange best practices and new ideas, and a lobby for hotel owners around the world.  At present HOFTEL has members and subscribers controlling, it believes, around US$ 100 billion of hospitality real estate.  Apart from GIOHIS, the group also runs two other events in the HOFTEL Summit Series, AOHIS in Spain (www.aohis.co) and SEAHIS in Thailand (www.seahis.com).