Rotana will open seven new hotels across the Middle East in the next 12 months with an investment of US$750m.

Included in the new openings will be Rotana’s first hotels in Bahrain and Jordan, a second hotel in Qatar, two in Dubai and two in Abu Dhabi, with the expansion set to put some 14,000 rooms under the group’s control.

Despite the region’s continued political and economic turmoil, a recent Hotstats survey reported a surge in occupancy in Abu Dhabi’s hotels, up 9.7 per cent to 82.8 per cent in October, while Dubai was back to pre-recession levels of 83.7 per cent.

President and CEO of Rotana, Selim El Zyr, said: “The last year has seen the hospitality industry in the Middle East and Africa registering positive growth, despite several challenging economic and political factors. We have properties in Syria and Egypt, and whilst we have been affected by the unrest in both countries, we are hoping the political situation will soon settle down.”

Ongoing troubles in other parts of the Arab world have pushed business into the United Arab Emirates as travellers and event organisers seek a safer Middle Eastern alternative to previously more popular regions such as Egypt.

Rotana’s expansion will target both business and leisure clientele, with conference and events expected to be a key market for its two new properties in Abu Dhabi. Set to open later this year, they will be located at the Capital Centre development, opposite the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Pictured: Rotana's new properties at the Capital Centre, Abu Dhabi