Comment: Challenge & opportunity in Qatar

Offering a winning combination of world-class facilities and rich cultural heritage, Qatar is quickly becoming one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Diversification, as emphasised in Qatar National Vision 2030, is a crucial platform of growth and the local hospitality sector is increasingly showcasing a variety of hotel concepts, including luxury and iconic hotels, upmarket and budget business hotels, serviced residences and new properties that target niche markets.

The government has a target of attracting seven million visitors annually by 2030 and a total of 124 hotel establishments are currently under construction to meet this demand.

Doha will welcome an increasingly international audience as the city evolves to offer the full spectrum of attractions. At Katara Hospitality we have ambitious plans to become the world’s leading hospitality company and will continue developing peerless hotels while also encouraging private investors to participate in building a solid hospitality network here.

There are huge investments being made in Qatar due to the nation’s vision – leading the country on the path of economic diversification and recognising the increasing demand in international business tourism. The investments are set to serve the country’s economy long-term by giving an added boost to the infrastructure.

Challenges

One of the greatest challenges for the hospitality industry is to determine how to be more innovative and to differentiate, particularly in countries such as Qatar, to meet the fast growth pace of the industry. The continued number of new hotel openings will add to the challenge of maintaining competitive room rates while stimulating healthy competition.

And a challenge for international hospitality brands setting up in the Middle East is adapting to local customer preferences. To succeed in new markets they must find effective ways of competing with domestic brands by localising their service while keeping aligned to their global brand values.

Legacy

As Qatar’s flagship hospitality organisation, we are committed to our contribution to developing a strong hospitality offering and legacy in our homeland. We intend to maintain our position by developing world-class hospitality complexes that are relevant not only for our portfolio, but emblematic for the country as well.

This is why at Katara Hospitality we continue to preserve existing industry heritage within the country while also acquiring spectacular properties that once set the standards in the sector and today represent a legacy. This strategy further strengthens Qatar’s reputation as a key player in the global tourism market.

We’re also focusing on developing a network of first-class business hotels in Qatar with our home-grown Murwab Hotels brand. We continue to showcase our dedication to the heritage and development of Qatar that will redefine the design and presentation of luxury hospitality in the country.

Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla is CEO at Katara Hospitality and number one on Hotelier Qatar's Power List.