UAE’s First All-Inclusive Resort Targets Mid-February Launch

Rixos Bab Al Bahr, set to be the UAE’s first all-inclusive resort, aims to open in Ras Al Khaimah by mid-February. Around 470 of its 655 rooms will be available during the ‘soft opening’ period.

With the exception of spa treatments and some food & beverage offerings (eg premium beverages), which will incur additional charges, guests will pay once at check-out for their room and meals. There will be no bed and breakfast or half-board tariffs. Deluxe rates start from Dhs1,800 (Dhs900pp) and are likely to be higher at weekends.

The resort will place a major emphasis on food & beverage services, offering guests eats and drinks round-the-clock and all manner of flavours through its 14 outlets, and entertainment with acts on until 3am. Leisure highlights include three multi-level pools and spa.

All-inclusives are well established in more developed tourism markets, such as the Caribbean, but remain in their infancy in the Middle East. This property will be Rixos’ second all-inclusive in the Middle East, after Sharm El Sheikh, and first in the Gulf.

Haytham Omar, Rixos Bab Al Bahr general manager, said: “We will be the pioneers but I expect to see other properties in the emirate, and throughout the UAE, in the coming years, there will be a lot of demand. The market is growing in Ras Al Khaimah and we will be targeting new markets, and ones where Rixos is strong, such as Turkey and the CIS.”

Complementing the leisure-focused resort will be a 900-person meeting room with three break-out rooms. “We are pushing for MICE business,” said Omar. “We will gear up between March and May, then we’ll have the summer, and by September and October, we should be ready for take off.”