eTN, Jul 03, 2008
The so-called Sharia-compliant hotels or the Islamic hospitality market is pegged to be one of the fastest growing hotel segments in the Middle East and elsewhere today. The Dubai-based hospitality group Almulla Hospitality recently launched its Sharia-compliant hotel portfolio, comprising three brand tiers. The group has also cited plans to target developments in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Egypt and Malaysia in the first instance, with Thailand and Europe following closely behind. Abdulla Almulla, chairman of Almulla Hospitality said that the demand for Sharia-compliant accommodation is on the increase and represents 10 percent of the world tourism market. “In less than a decade, the Middle East leaders have transformed the landscape and created one of the world’s fastest growing regions with hospitality investment at its core,” said Almulla, adding, “The United Arab Emirates travelers alone spend more than $4.9 million on travel annually and the Islamic hotel product will be in high demand, certainly reaching 10 percent in the short-term.”
