Hotels hospitality and leisure

Showing posts for hotels hospitality and leisure

29 April 2026

Refurbishment in Dubai’s Hotel Sector: A Strategic Response to Shifting Demand

Dubai is one of the world’s most visited cities, underpinned by its position as a global hub and the constant flow of international visitors. In 2025, the city welcomed more than 19 million tourists, highlighting the massive scale of demand across the hospitality sector.
15 April 2026

Oman Hospitality Market Performance 2025

Oman’s hospitality sector delivered a strong performance in 2025, supported by continued growth in tourism demand and improving connectivity. Airport traffic reached 14.9 million passengers, up 2.8% year-on-year, reflecting steady recovery momentum and enhanced route networks. This translated into solid hotel performance, with the 3–5-star segment welcoming approximately 2.4 million guests, a 10.8% increase compared to 2024, supported by both domestic and international segments, contributing to greater demand diversification.
30 March 2026

The Iran Conflict and the Geopolitics of Safe Havens

The paradox of geopolitical shock in the Gulf It is a well-established fact that geopolitical crises affect real estate markets differently[1]. Short-lived crises, in particular, may have fleeting effects on equity markets,[2] and even subside before real estate markets, which operate on longer adjustment cycles and are measured in months rather than minutes, have time to respond. This was certainly […]
17 March 2026

Dubai Hospitality Market Performance 2025

Dubai's tourism sector has grown steadily over the past few years, benefiting from world-class infrastructure, a safe and diversified environment, and a strong calendar of events and cultural festivals. The market continued to perform strongly in 2025, supported by strong air connectivity, rising international visitation, and resilient hotel performance. Passenger traffic at Dubai's airports reached 95.2 million up by 3.1% compared to 2024, with international visitors climbing to 19.6 million, reinforcing the city's position as a leading hub for both leisure and business travel. Demand growth remains broad-based, supported by a diversified mix of source markets and an expanding ecosystem of events and experiences, while premium hotel openings have further enhanced Dubai's appeal to high-value international travellers.
6 March 2026

Property Taxation: Shaping Economies and Supporting Real Estate Markets

When carefully designed, real estate taxation can be more than a tool for Governments to raise revenue; taxes can be used to influence real estate development and to achieve wider economic and social goals. At the same time, the owners of real estate work with tax lawyers, accountants and advisers to reduce their exposure to such taxes.   What is […]
20 February 2026

Learning From History: Gulf Property Market Cycles – Catalysts And Consequences

Everyone knows that housing and commercial property prices move in cycles. The pattern of a long-sustained build-up in asset prices followed by a sudden decline has been observed in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for decades. It is also known that real estate returns are generally more stable in the years between peaks and troughs. Not all cycles, however, are equally severe, nor are markets equally volatile. For example, comparing what has happened in Dubai since 2021 with UK average prices clearly indicates how much more volatile this Gulf market has been. And, of course, Dubai has seen much more impressive house price growth in recent years: when both markets are indexed to January 2008 = 100, UK prices stand at 158.3 while Dubai reaches 233.7.
21 January 2026

Assessing the Role of Saudi Arabia’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) Programme in Real Estate

An immense commitment to Public Private Partnership (PPP) There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is now home to one of the world’s largest and most successful Public Private Partnership (PPP) programmes. From early water and cogeneration projects (where gas-fired plants simultaneously produce electricity while capturing waste heat for industrial steam) launched in 2003, followed by electricity projects and the […]
28 December 2025

Oman Hospitality Market Performance Q3 2025

Oman’s hospitality sector demonstrated robust performance in the first nine months of 2025, supported by strong domestic and international demand. Airport traffic reached 11.2 million passengers, while guest volumes in 3-5 star hotels rose to 1.7 million, representing a 9% increase compared with the same period last year. Occupancy levels strengthened further, reaching 52.8%, a notable 13.1% growth over 2024, signalling that the market is effectively absorbing demand even during shoulder months. Meanwhile, average room rates (ARR) remained broadly stable, indicating that hotels are focusing on maximising occupancy and optimising inventory utilisation rather than pursuing aggressive rate increases to drive revenue growth.
16 December 2025

Crisis as Catalyst: Innovation in the Shadow of Real Estate Cycles

Evidence for a hypothesis The idea that creativity flourishes in a crisis has some solid empirical support. The steam turbine, transformer, radio, and helicopters were all patented during Depressions and were turned into successful products during subsequent recovery periods. Various explanations of this phenomenon have been advanced, the most well-known of which has been Joseph Schumpeter’s theory of ‘creative destruction’, […]
30 October 2025

Dubai Hospitality Market Performance H1 2025

Dubai was officially recognised as the first Certified Autism Destination™ in the Eastern Hemisphere, demonstrating its commitment to accessible and inclusive tourism. The Emirate's safety credentials also received global recognition, with Dubai placing third and Abu Dhabi first in Numbeo's city-level safety index, reinforcing the UAE's position as one of the world's safest destinations.
1 October 2025

Oman Hospitality Market Performance H1 2025

The growth of Oman’s hospitality market rests on three key pillars. First, population growth: Oman’s population expanded by 4.5% in 2024, following 5% growth in 2023, and analysts expect this momentum to continue through the decade. Even without changes in spending patterns or additional boosts from tourism, such demographic growth alone ensures steady annual demand for new hotel keys. Second, economic expansion and rising domestic tourism. Overall domestic trips increased in line with population growth, from 12.9 million in 2023 to 13.6 million in 2024, but Omanis are also travelling differently. An 8% rise in reported hospitality days indicates they are taking longer trips and spending more per visit, reinforcing demand across the sector. Third, international tourism, where Government policy and investment can have the greatest impact. Gulf visitors still account for more than a quarter of arrivals, but Oman is increasingly attracting travellers from farther afield, including Europe, India, and China.
26 August 2025

Unlocking the Kingdom: Housing Markets and Foreign Ownership Rules

To date, certain countries have attracted the lion’s share of overseas investment into their residential markets: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the UAE and the United States. These countries are all characterised by remarkably lenient regulations for foreign nationals wishing to buy real estate in their domestic markets. In the UK, for example, there are virtually no restrictions at all, neither geographic, nor residency, not sectoral, nor value. Controls exist only to confirm identity and to prevent money laundering.1 The USA, Australia and Canada are somewhat more restrictive – Canada even imposed a freeze on overseas purchases of residential real estate altogether in 2023.2

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