IHG’s Haitham Mattar on why the Middle East remains hospitality’s strongest bet
IHG Hotels & Resorts’ MD for India, Middle East & Africa discusses how geopolitical shifts are reshaping travel demand, why the GCC continues to defy global headwinds, and where IHG sees its strongest growth
12 August, 2026
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The Middle East has become one of the most closely watched hospitality markets in the world, a region that keeps drawing tourists, business travellers and investors even as global uncertainty tests demand elsewhere. For IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the sector’s largest operators, that resilience is both an opportunity and a test of strategy.
Few people are better placed to read the region’s direction than Haitham Mattar, MD, India, Middle East & Africa at IHG Hotels & Resorts. With more than 37 years of experience in global destination and hospitality management and marketing, Mattar has helped shape destination strategies on both sides of the equation, as CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority and as a senior advisor to Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambitions, before returning to lead IHG’s growth across a portfolio of more than 224 hotels and a pipeline of over 245 properties in 2021.
In this conversation with Gulf Business, Mattar discusses how geopolitical shifts are reshaping travel demand, why the GCC continues to defy global headwinds, and where IHG sees its strongest growth. He also reflects on the forces redefining the guest experience, from artificial intelligence and sustainability to changing expectations of what a hotel should be, and shares the lessons from destination-building that now guide the group’s expansion across the region.
Geopolitical developments have influenced travel patterns and investor sentiment globally. How has the current geopolitical landscape affected hospitality demand in the Middle East, and how is IHG adapting its strategy in response?
The Middle East has consistently demonstrated an ability to absorb periods of global uncertainty and continue generating demand across multiple segments. While geopolitical developments have influenced short-term travel flows to varying degrees, the impact has not been uniform across markets. Resorts, staycations, long-stay accommodation and religious tourism have remained comparatively resilient, supported by strong domestic and regional GCC demand. Throughout, the safety and wellbeing of our guests and colleagues remain a constant priority, and we continue to monitor developments carefully.
Our role is to help owners adapt quickly and make informed decisions during periods of uncertainty. We take a market-by-market approach, working closely with owners and our teams on the ground to adjust commercial strategies and operational plans where needed. We are also tracking booking pace, lead times and the recovery of key source markets. While we remain cautious given the wider geopolitical environment, early indicators suggest travel confidence is returning, which is encouraging as we look ahead to the remainder of the year and beyond.
Despite global uncertainty, the GCC continues to attract tourists, business travellers, and investors. What factors are driving the region’s resilience, and where do you see the strongest growth opportunities?
The GCC’s resilience is underpinned by strong long-term fundamentals: economic diversification, sustained infrastructure investment, global aviation connectivity and clear national tourism strategies. Across the region, governments continue to invest in destinations, cultural attractions, entertainment, sports, business events and transport networks, creating a broader and more sustainable mix of demand.
Another important factor is the diversity of the region’s travel proposition. The UAE benefits from a mature tourism ecosystem and an established position as a global hub for leisure, business, MICE, family travel and luxury experiences. Saudi Arabia combines strong domestic and religious tourism with growing corporate, government, events, entertainment and leisure demand. Egypt, as part of the wider region, also continues to stand out as a high-potential market, supported by its scale, strong leisure appeal, cultural heritage and improving infrastructure.
Looking ahead, we see particularly strong opportunities in luxury and lifestyle hospitality, branded residences, resorts, long-stay accommodation, conversions and mainstream brands that can serve both domestic and international travellers.
How is IHG approaching expansion across the Middle East, and what role do markets such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia play in the group’s long-term growth strategy?
We are deliberate about where and how we grow, bringing the right brand to the right location based on rigorous demand analysis and each project’s long-term potential. For us, growth is about long-term value, not scale for its own sake. We work closely with owners, developers and tourism authorities to ensure our growth supports both destination priorities and the performance of individual hotels. Across the region, our focus is on quality growth that strengthens our portfolio, responds to evolving demand and creates long-term value for owners.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are central to this strategy. As of March 2026, IHG has 39 hotels and nearly 12,000 rooms in the UAE, with 12 hotels and over 2,300 rooms in the pipeline. In Saudi Arabia, we have 48 hotels and approximately 24,800 rooms, with a further 62 hotels and close to 20,000 rooms in the pipeline. The UAE offers maturity, global connectivity and a highly diversified visitor base, while Saudi Arabia provides significant scale and new demand across religious tourism, business, events, entertainment and emerging leisure destinations.
IHG has continued to grow its portfolio across different segments, from luxury and lifestyle to midscale brands. How is changing traveller behaviour influencing the brands and concepts the group is bringing to the region?
Travellers increasingly want more than a place to stay. They are looking for experiences that feel personal, flexible and connected to the destination, whether through wellness, food, culture, sport, entertainment or time with family and friends. As a result, hotels are becoming destinations in their own right, with stronger roles to play in how people experience a city, resort or community.
At the same time, there is no single definition of today’s traveller. Some guests are seeking highly individual luxury experiences, while others prioritise value, convenience, longer stays or accommodation suited to families. This is why the breadth of IHG’s portfolio is so important. Our luxury and lifestyle brands, including Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental, Vignette Collection and Hotel Indigo, allow us to respond to growing demand for distinctive and experience-led stays. Brands such as voco and Crowne Plaza address premium business and leisure demand, while Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express provide accessible, reliable accommodation for a broader range of travellers.
We are also seeing increasing interest in resorts, branded residences, suites and long-stay concepts. Our approach is not to bring every brand to every market, but to identify the concept that best reflects local demand, the destination’s character and the owner’s long-term objectives.
Technology, sustainability and personalised experiences are reshaping hospitality. Which trends do you believe will have the biggest impact on the industry over the next few years?
Artificial intelligence will be one of the most transformative forces in hospitality over the next few years, reshaping how hotels understand demand, personalise the guest journey and run their operations. AI, automation and predictive analytics are already helping hotels anticipate guest needs, make faster and more precise commercial decisions, improve planning and remove operational friction. Used responsibly, these tools can strengthen – not replace – the human connection at the heart of our industry, drive better performance for owners and free colleagues from routine processes, allowing them to spend more time creating memorable experiences for guests.
Personalisation continues to be increasingly important. Travellers expect brands to understand their preferences and provide experiences that are relevant to the purpose of their trip. Through IHG One Rewards and our digital platforms, we can use insights responsibly to offer greater choice, recognition and flexibility throughout the guest journey.
Sustainability will continue to influence how hotels are designed, operated and evaluated by guests, owners and investors. The industry will need to use energy, water and other resources more efficiently while maintaining high standards of comfort and service. Owners will increasingly look for solutions that support responsible operations, improve efficiency and protect the long-term value of their assets.
As competition in the Middle East hospitality market increases, what will differentiate successful hotel operators in attracting guests, partners and investors?
The operators who succeed will be those that deliver consistently for both guests and owners. Guests want relevant experiences, reliable service and clear brand identities, while owners and investors want strong distribution, commercial expertise, cost discipline and an operator that understands the needs of each asset. The real differentiator will be the ability to translate these capabilities into sustained performance, operational efficiency and long-term asset value across different market cycles.
Talent will remain just as decisive. Hospitality is a people business, and technology and global systems only deliver their full value when they enable colleagues to provide better, more intuitive service.
With responsibility for more than 224 hotels and a pipeline of over 245 properties across India, the Middle East and Africa, how are you balancing growth ambitions with ensuring operational consistency and delivering long-term value for hotel owners and partners?
Growth and operational consistency must go hand in hand. Expanding a portfolio is only meaningful when each hotel has the systems, support and talent required to deliver on its brand promise, perform through different market cycles and create sustainable long-term value for its owner.
Our approach starts with disciplined development. We assess whether there is a clear demand case, whether the brand is right for the location and whether the project aligns with the owner’s long-term ambitions. Once a hotel joins the system, it benefits from IHG’s global capabilities across distribution, loyalty, revenue management, procurement, technology and operations. These platforms provide consistency at scale, while our regional and local teams ensure each property remains responsive to its market.
We also maintain close relationships with owners and general managers throughout the lifecycle of an asset. This includes supporting commercial performance, reviewing guest feedback, identifying operational efficiencies and advising on renovations or repositioning when required. The objective is not simply to support near-term results, but to protect the hotel’s competitiveness and asset value over time. During periods of disruption, this partnership becomes even more important, enabling us to provide targeted guidance based on the circumstances of each hotel.
Having previously worked on destination development strategies in Saudi Arabia and Ras Al Khaimah, what lessons from building tourism ecosystems have shaped your approach to growing IHG’s presence across emerging hospitality markets?
From my experience working on destination development strategies in both Saudi Arabia and Ras Al Khaimah, the clearest lesson is that hotels cannot build a destination alone. I have seen first-hand that sustainable tourism growth depends on connectivity, infrastructure, attractions, effective marketing and skilled talent, supported by close collaboration between the public and private sectors.
It is also important for each destination to build around its own strengths. Saudi Arabia, for example, is developing a broad proposition spanning religious, business, cultural, entertainment and leisure travel. Across emerging markets, hotel supply must grow in line with sustainable demand, rather than ahead of it.
These lessons shape our approach at IHG: we take a long-term view, work closely with local stakeholders and select brands according to the role they can play within the wider destination.
