The first FIFA World Cup to be held in the Middle East promises booming business for UAE hotels in the last quarter of 2022 as thousands of fans flock to the Gulf country due to limited accommodation in neighboring host country Qatar.
The UAE’s major local and international hotel chains expect to be at or near full capacity during the four-week football tournament, amid strong forward bookings for November and December, top hospitality executives said.
Hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi expect occupancy levels ranging between 80 per cent to 100 per cent, with strong demand trends similar to those recorded during the peak period of Expo 2020 Dubai, they said.
The UAE, the Gulf region’s popular travel and tourism center, is expected to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the mega sporting event, which begins on November 20, according to hospitality industry reports.
The World Cup is set to drive a massive influx of visitors into neighbouring transit hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, boosting demand for international air travel and accommodation.
It is expected to draw 1.2 million tourists to Qatar, pushing the country’s hotel supply pipeline for 2022 alone to about 13,300 rooms, with 80 per cent of these falling under the four or five-star hotel category, according to a report by Alpen Capital.
With hotels in Qatar fully booked in the run-up to the game, hotels in the UAE are expected to record a rise in demand for accommodation of up to 40 per cent, according to a report by online travel agency Musafir.com.
Shuttle flights operated by regional airlines from Gulf cities on match days and multiple-entry tourist visas for fans attending the matches will support the movement of visitors.
The World Cup will also coincide with the traditionally busy winter season in the UAE, year-end holidays and the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix, further boosting business for UAE hotels.
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