UAE-based hospitality leader Rotana is preparing for a major wave of growth, with plans to open 40 new hotels across diverse markets including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, and Georgia over the next six years. This ambitious expansion is expected to generate approximately 5,000 new jobs, significantly boosting the company’s current workforce of 10,000 employees. CEO Philip M. Barnes emphasized that the group is prioritizing regions like Saudi Arabia, which represents a quarter of the new projects, alongside emerging opportunities in Africa and beyond.

A key highlight of Rotana's strategy is its commitment to staff retention and stability. Barnes noted that the company successfully navigated recent regional economic challenges without resorting to layoffs or property closures, choosing instead to implement temporary salary adjustments to protect jobs. This decision has fostered deep employee loyalty, which the leadership believes is directly contributing to higher guest satisfaction scores today. As the group moves forward, it intends to lean heavily on local talent to staff these new properties, with hiring requirements scaled according to the size and specific needs of each location.