Dubai hoteliers are feeling more optimistic about the future as the slow summer season comes to a close.
Atlantis, the flagship resort on The Palm island in Dubai, doubled its rates overnight last week from the promotional offer of Dh800 (US$217.80) which it ran throughout the summer, according to the hotel's website. Room prices from September 20 to December 25 are now at Dh1,680 per night.
Business chiefs said the hospitality industry may have turned the corner after months of falling occupancy and room rates.
"Hopefully for Dubai, summer is a turning point," said Arshad Hussain, the director of business development at the Monarch Dubai, a hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road.
Although seasonality is a major factor in the price hike, hotels are seeing some signs of improving business following falls in rates and occupancies this year caused by a decline in demand combined with new hotel openings.
Dubai hotels responded to the slowdown by launching deals and stepping up their marketing efforts and these started to pay off in July.
Data for that month indicated Dubai saw a 24 per cent fall in revenue per available room, the key measure of the health of the industry, compared with falls of more than 40 per cent earlier in the year.
"We believe there's room for optimism," said Jeff Strachan, the area director of sales and marketing for Marriott, Middle East and Africa. Marriott operates six hotels in Dubai, with management agreements for a further nine.
"The forward booking trends are looking healthy for the last quarter," he said. Coming major events in Dubai, which include Cityscape, the air show and the Race to Dubai golf tournament, as well as the Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, would drive a huge amount of business to Dubai hotels, Mr Strachan said.
"Room rates this November may even be a bit higher, or close to, November last year just because of everything that is going on," he added.
"If we look at the first eight months of the year we've had to bring our rates down to compete in the market. But, moving forward, events are going to continue to drive business in Dubai. There are going to be times of the year when business is good."
The five-star Monarch Dubai is increasing its rates from Dh750 to Dh1,299 and is almost fully booked for some major exhibitions.
"The market is coming back, there is no doubt about that," said Mr Hussain. He said those hotels which had not dropped rates too low stood to benefit.
"The rates are still down substantially on last year but the occupancy is coming up," he added. "Rates in the region were on the high side but now the market is correcting itself."
Consequently, although Dubai's rates have fallen, they remain at relatively high levels compared with other cities around the world such as Mumbai and Singapore, according to data from Expedia's Hotels.com which was released last week.
Mr Hussain said the Monarch would now need to increase its rates gradually without falling into the trap of raising them to unsustainable levels.
Thousands of new rooms opening in Dubai in the coming months are expected to keep prices in check.
Mr Strachan said: "I would definitely say the market has now readjusted itself and is going to be extremely competitive for everybody, moving forward forever.
"We're back to a normal market, so it's just like operating hotels in any normal city in the world which is a very competitive environment.
"However, there are lots of reasons to be grateful for doing business in Dubai."
rbundhun@thenational.ae
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Third Test
Day 3, stumps
India 443-7 (d) & 54-5 (27 ov)
Australia 151
India lead by 346 runs with 5 wickets remaining
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Bareilly Ki Barfi
Directed by: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring: Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao
Three and a half stars
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
The 15 players selected
Muzzamil Afridi, Rahman Gul, Rizwan Haider (Dezo Devils); Shahbaz Ahmed, Suneth Sampath (Glory Gladiators); Waqas Gohar, Jamshaid Butt, Shadab Ahamed (Ganga Fighters); Ali Abid, Ayaz Butt, Ghulam Farid, JD Mahesh Kumara (Hiranni Heros); Inam Faried, Mausif Khan, Ashok Kumar (Texas Titans
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
