ADNEC to oversee two Anantara properties in Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), part of ADQ, said on Monday that that it will now oversee Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Abu Dhabi Resort and Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara.

“In addition to our award-winning exhibition and events business, we have a successful track record as a hotel owner and we partner with renowned international hotel operators to achieve the highest standards in hospitality, “ said Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, managing director and group CEO of ADNEC.

It takes the total number of hotels under ADNEC’s umbrella to five, including Aloft Abu Dhabi, Andaz Abu Dhabi Capital Gate, and Aloft London Excel.

The two Anantara properties will join ADNEC’s portfolio of hotels and properties immediately.

“The addition of these two iconic hotels will further support our ability to increase the direct and indirect economic contributions of the tourism sector in Abu Dhabi, as well as confirm its position as the region’s capital of the business tourism sector,” added Al Dhaheri.

Meanwhile, Jaap Kalkman, chief investor officer at ADQ, said: “Moving Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Abu Dhabi Resort and the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resorts by Anantara under ADNEC’s portfolio provides greater scale and a broader platform for attracting business and leisure tourism to Abu Dhabi.”

“We are confident that transferring the resorts will increase ADNEC’s competitive offering and allow it to create engaging new experiences for conference and exhibition attendees in the future,” noted Kalkman.

Abu Dhabi is set to host a number of events this year, including IDEX and NAVDEX, which will likely stimulate demand for rooms and ensure hotels are operating at optimal capacity.

The Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre said in January that all visiting international badge holders to be IDEX and NAVDEX are exempt from the 10-day quarantine procedure upon arrival in Abu Dhabi.

In other major hospitality news from the UAE’s capital emirate, Aldar Properties recently agreed to sell the Abu Dhabi Golf Club Complex, including the Westin Hotel and the Abu Dhabi Golf Course, to an undisclosed investor for Dhs180m.

Read: Aldar Properties sells Abu Dhabi Golf Complex for Dhs180m

As part of a recent organisational restructuring at Aldar, Aldar Hospitality and Leisure will look after its portfolio of hotel and leisure assets located around Yas Island and Saadiyat. It will focus on optimising occupancy strategies of its 10 hotels, comprising over 2,900 hotel keys and managing operations across golf courses, beach clubs and marinas.

Read: Abu Dhabi’s Aldar Properties announces new operating model to drive growth