More than 2,300 hotel rooms are set to open in Abu Dhabi by the end of this year with a further 5,200 in the pipeline for 2017, according to a new report.

The report, published by JLL for The Hotel Show Dubai 2015, reveals that the Abu Dhabi hotel industry is set to see further positive growth as the city reported a 20 percent increase in hotel guests in the first quarter of the year.

JLL reported that hotel construction will bring the total room count in Abu Dhabi from 20,700 at present to 26,000 by 2017.

Optimism for Abu Dhabi for the rest of this year has led authorities to increase hotel guest target for 2015 to 3.9 million, up from 3.5 million.

Positive growth is cited by JLL as being due to a large number of government initiatives to grow Abu Dhabi as a high quality tourist destination including the expansion of its international airport and national carrier Etihad Airways.

Attractions launching in Abu Dhabi in coming years include the new Louvre and Guggenheim museums and Warner Bros theme park on Yas Island.

JLL said in the report that 45 percent of current supply are 5-star properties, adding that openings in the final months of 2015 will include the luxury Bab Al Qasr Hotel near Presidential Palace, set to boast 677 rooms and a private beach.

Chiheb Ben Mahmoud, executive vice president, head of Hotels & Hospitality Group Middle East & Africa at JLL said: “More than 70 percent of hotel room supply in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are in the 4 and 5 star category. The proportion is higher for Abu Dhabi than for Dubai.

"This positioning structure is in line with the historical phase of destination building, driven by international and local corporate demand as well as corporate related leisure tourism (direct and indirect incentive), more than domestic and regional business.” 

Christine Davidson, group event director of the dmg events hospitality portfolio including The Hotel Show Dubai, said: “This is an exciting year for the whole of the hospitality industry in the Middle East with massive development across all of the Emirates, GCC and wider regions totaling 453 hotel projects and 134,217 rooms.

"The UAE currently leads hotel construction with Abu Dhabi and Dubai featuring as strong markets, and Saudi Arabia and Turkey following closely behind.”

The Hotel Show & The Leisure Show takes place in Dubai on September 28-30 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

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