Drees & Sommer launches global hospitality division in the UAE

International real estate and construction consultancy Drees & Sommer has launched a highly specialised global hospitality team based in Dubai as an extension to the existing European operation.

The new hospitality division will provide a full service offering for investors and owners throughout the Middle East, Africa, Asia, People's Republic of China and the rest of the world. The extension is a result of the tourism growth in the Middle East region. The value of tourism related construction projects in the GCC has grown exponentially in recent years and is estimated to be worth US$200 billion to accommodate increasing demand, particularly in Dubai where 25 million visitors will be welcomed during Expo 2020.

The team in the Middle East will be led by managing director of global hospitality, Filippo Sona, and will provide a full service offering from feasibility studies, hospitality consulting, technical services, project management, construction management and asset performance management.

Sona said in a statement: "The dedicated hospitality team of 10 hospitality experts will benefit from the expertise of 3,200 employees based in 41 offices worldwide, combining local market knowledge with world class international hospitality trend know how to deliver projects globally. The company will initially focus on key segments of the tourism industry which include hotels, resorts, serviced apartments, golf courses, marinas, spa, theme parks and the entertainment industry."

Drees & Sommer has completed more than 1,114 projects in 28 countries and 88 cities worldwide.