The 601-room beachfront resort and waterpark boosts Dubai’s four star accommodation offering in line with government tourism strategy.
UAE-based developer Nakheel and leading Thai hotel group Centara Hotels & Resorts cemented their AED500 million joint venture with a construction contract worth AED290.5 million to build a 601-room beachfront resort at Dubai’s Deira Islands.
The two entities have appointed Parkway International Contracting LLC to deliver Centara Deira Islands Beach Resort Dubai, Centara’s first in the UAE, which is set to open in Q4 2020. A new hospitality concept for Dubai, the resort is expected to boost the emirate’s four-star accommodation, the fastest-growing segment in 2017, in line with government tourism goals.
The contract, which takes Nakheel’s infrastructure and construction investment at Deira Islands to nearly AED8.8 billion so far, was signed in Dubai on Thursday at a ceremony led by Nakheel’s chairman, Ali Rashid Lootah, and Suparat Chirathivat, executive vice president, corporate development, central group, the parent company of Centara Hotels & Resorts. Mobilisation will begin immediately, with construction due for completion in Q4 2020.
Located on a beachfront spot in Nakheel’s Deira Islands waterfront city, the resort will be managed by Centara, whose growing portfolio already includes over 12,000 keys across 60 hotels and resorts in Asia, the Indian Ocean and the Middle East.
The family-centric resort will feature a waterpark, multiple restaurants, kids’ club, spa, fitness centre, and business facilities. The 601 sea-view and city-facing rooms cover a range of categories, with an emphasis on family-sized accommodation, 114 rooms are specifically for families, covering 450 sqft. There are also rooms for people with special needs, standard rooms, deluxe rooms, suites, and 1,200 sqft duplexes.
Ali Rashid Lootah said: “Nakheel continues to play a pivotal role in shaping and diversifying Dubai’s tourism offering with AED 27 billion hospitality and retail expansions which support the government’s vision. Our joint venture with Centara underlines our commitment to working with trusted international brands to bring new hospitality concepts to Dubai, and this crucial milestone brings this exciting new resort ever closer. I look forward to delivering one of Dubai’s most sought-after destinations for travellers from all over the world.”
Suparat Chirathivat said: “Centara is thrilled with the speed at which its joint venture with Nakheel is progressing and looks forward to opening Centara Deira Islands Beach Resort Dubai in 2020.
“This is Centara’s first hotel in Dubai, and the UAE, and represents our arrival in a key gateway city in the Middle East. We believe that the unique design and service of Centara Deira Islands Beach Resort Dubai will offer unforgettable holiday experiences to guests. With Nakheel’s development expertise and Centara’s record of delivering and inspiring extraordinary guest experiences, we will create a unique resort that surprises and delights guests for years to come.”
Centara Hotels & Resorts is part of Central Group, which has interests in merchandising, real estate, retail, hospitality, and restaurant sectors. Centara entered the Middle East market with the opening of Centara Muscat Hotel last year, with imminent openings in other Gulf States.
Centara Deira Islands Beach Resort Dubai will add 601 rooms to Dubai’s four star hotel segment, which grew by 10% last year to over 25,000 rooms. The emirate, which is set to welcome over 16 million tourists this year, currently has around 109,000 hotel rooms in total, with 132,000 anticipated by the end of 2019. Nakheel has 6,600 rooms in its own hospitality project portfolio.
The Deira Islands project is expected to transform old Dubai into a world-class hub for retail, tourism, living, and leisure, and will add 40 km, including 21km of beach, to Dubai’s coastline. The coastal city is expected to have a population of 250,000 and create 80,000 jobs.
