Luxury hotel brand will provide unrivalled access to emerging tourism destination
Dubai, 04 June 2008: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with RAK properties to develop InterContinental Mina Al Arab Resort, Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.
The 300-room property will be conveniently located an hour from Dubai International Airport on the Coast Road, which connects all of the UAE emirates. The resort is set to open in 2010 as part of the Mina Al Arab development - an AED10 billion (US$ 2.7 billion) mixed-use leisure and holiday resort situated along a 13 kilometre (eight mile) beach.
Ras Al Khaimah is known for its rich landscape and natural resources and these factors, together with its prime location along the Arabian Gulf coastline, are contributing to its increasing development as a tourist destination.
John Bamsey, Chief Operating Officer, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Middle East & Africa, said: "With Ras Al Khaimah looking to quadruple the number of tourists by 2010 to 100,000*, the emirate is really beginning to mark its place on the global travel map. InterContinental Mina Al Arab Resort is one of 11 InterContinental properties currently in the development pipeline across the Middle East and Africa region and we are looking forward to offering a truly authentic Arabic experience along with unrivaled access to this largely undiscovered destination."
InterContinental Mina Al Arab Resort will incorporate extensive food and beverage options including a 150-seater, all-day dining restaurant, three speciality restaurants, two bars, a lobby lounge and an outdoor pool bar. While its state-of-the-art facilities, including two high-tech meeting rooms, a business centre and several retail units are expected to appeal to corporate bookings and business guests, those looking for a more relaxing experience will enjoy the leisure amenities which include the health-club, gym, spa and pool.
The northernmost of the UAE's seven emirates, Ras Al Khaimah is also the fourth largest in terms of population. Along with international demand, the emirate enjoys substantial weekend demand from Dubai and Abu Dhabi residents wishing to get away from the city hubs for a short break.
InterContinental Mina Al Arab Resort will offer access to Ras Al Khaimah's natural assets - quality coastline, mangrove forests, unspoilt desert, the Hajjar mountain range and a Bedouin culture dating back 7,000 years.
The Mina Al Arab project is set to include a theme park, Thalasso Therapy centre, marina and a heritage village. The development will also contain a cluster of 3,500 residential units and 388 residential villas, a traditional Arabian souq, 310 hectares of open spaces, ecological preserves and landscaping, traditional 'abra' water taxis, medical facilities, numerous cafes and restaurants and a range of world-class leisure and sports facilities.
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts currently has 36 properties and 10,900 rooms in the Middle East and Africa region alone.
*Figures according to the UAE's 2020 Vision document
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About RAK Properties
RAK Properties is a Public Joint Stock Company formed with the support of RAK government to oversee the vision of RAK government towards the development of real estate, tourism and leisure facilities in Ras Al Khaimah. It aims to support and promote the economic growth, to assist the emirate's development plans.
About IHG
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, almost 4,000 hotels and more than 590,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with over 37 million members worldwide.
IHG pioneered the travel industry's first collaborative response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The environment and local communities remain at the heart of IHG's global corporate responsibility focus. We're the first major hotel group to have measured our environmental and carbon footprints and we're in the process of setting reduction targets.
With more than 1,600 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG needs to find around 150,000 people over the next few years to meet its global expansion plans.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.
IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media
For further press information please contact:
Middle East IHG Press Office
Impact Porter Novelli
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Nora Feidi,
Senior Account Executive
Tel: +971 4 3304030
Fax: +971 4 3304031
E-mail: n.feidi@ipn.ae
© Press Release 2008
