Hoteliers in Abu Dhabi are expecting a last-minute surge in bookings before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar that gets under way on November 20 and concludes on December 18.
The tournament is expected to attract at least 1.2 million visitors and neighboring cities in the region are seeing an increase in hotel bookings from the thousands of fans who will use shuttle flights to travel in and out of Doha.
Accommodation has been running out fast in Qatar in the run-up to the finals, which has led many fans to look to neighboring countries for alternative places to stay.
According to Booking.com, 90 per cent of hotels within two miles of the Corniche are already unavailable on the first night of the tournament. On the day of the cup final, more than 70 per cent of 3 to 5 star hotels in Abu Dhabi are also no longer available.
An online search for two adults to stay on November 20 shows only one space left at either of the 2 cheapest available hotel rooms, costing either Dh566 and Dh727, including taxes. If you want to be within 2 miles of the city centre the cheapest available room listed is Dh916.
Other hotel groups were also expecting to enjoy a boost from the tournament, which is being held in the Middle East for the first time. In some cases, fans were booking month-long stays at the same property for the duration of the tournament.
Football fans in the capital will also be able to cheer on their teams at a fanzone in Yas Links, which will have a capacity for up to 2,000. The action will be beamed on to a giant LED screen, measuring 16 x 9 meters, making it one of the largest outdoor screens in the UAE.
Analytic firm Colliers in its latest MENA Hotel Forecast suggests a bumper boom for the tourism industry in the UAE during the final quarter of 2022. Hotels in Dubai Creek and Festival City are expected to see the biggest increase in occupancy rates since 2021, up 19 percent to an estimated 77 percent for the year.
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