In a regional industry first, seven leading global hotel companies have pledged their commitment to supporting Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism development vision as a future destination.

Individual meetings with His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, and His Excellency Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, were held with the global and regional leaders of hospitality, including:

Sandeep Walia, Chief Operations Officer, Middle East & Luxury, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International
Federico J. González, Executive Vice Chairman, Radisson Hotel Group
Guy Hutchinson, President, Middle East and Africa, Hilton
Duncan O’Rourke, Chief Executive Officer, Middle East, Africa & Asia-Pacific Midscale & Economy, Accor
Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG Hotels & Resort
Gaurav Bhushan, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Ennismore
Philip Barnes, Chief Executive Officer, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation PJSC

During these meetings, each leader discussed their company’s expansion plans and growth strategy in the region and signed a pledge demonstrating their commitment to developing the Emirate’s tourism and hospitality sector. In the promise, they each committed to contributing to the thriving tourism economy of Ras Al Khaimah, as well as the Emirate’s growth as an exceptional place to visit, live and work – in line with the Ras Al Khaimah’s Vision 2030, which aims to promote growth across three key components of sustainable development: Economy, Society, and Environment.

Commenting on the pledges, H.E. Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said, “Tourism is the cornerstone of Ras Al Khaimah’s economy and a key driver of livability. We aim to elevate tourism’s contribution to one-third of the emirate’s GDP and create over 20,000 jobs by 2030. The commitment made by our hospitality partners reaffirms our vision to driving sustainable growth and positioning Ras Al Khaimah as a global tourism destination where economic performance and quality of life go hand in hand.”

To guide this, the pledges detail four main areas for hospitality leaders to focus on:

Tourism Growth: Driving prosperity for a thriving, dynamic future by tripling the size of Ras Al Khaimah’s Tourism Economy by 2030, thus positioning the Emirate as one of the top ten fastest-growing global destinations.

Sustainability Goals: Aligning with Ras Al Khaimah Vision 2030 to achieve sustainability growth objectives through the Responsible RAK programme and other green initiatives. The initiative includes contributions to RAK Vision 2030, which aims for a 10% reduction in electricity consumption and 5% of electricity demands to be met by solar power by 2030. Additionally, it involves adhering to sustainable building standards for upcoming properties.

Global Brand Recognition: Contributing to the growing awareness of Ras Al Khaimah as a top tourism destination among target markets and audiences via Competitive Indices and listings in top-tier media publications.

Growing a Thriving Community: Contributing to the Emirate’s livability and its people’s happiness to promote the destination as a great place to visit, live and work.

Ras Al Khaimah is home to 56 hotels and resorts, with over 8,000 rooms across all segments, from ultra-luxurious 5-star properties to mid-range and family-friendly options. The largest hospitality brands in Ras Al Khaimah recently joined forces in response to the Emirate’s outstanding performance in 2024, which recorded 1.28 million overnight arrivals. Their collective action supports the destination’s commitment to attracting 3.5 million annual visitors by 2030. A key contributor to this figure will be its expanding hospitality portfolio, with the number of rooms in the Emirate set to double over the next few years thanks to a robust pipeline of properties by world-class brands, which will deliver an additional 7,500+ keys.

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