A senior executive with Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) said 40% of their 37 planned new hotels will be delayed. IHG Vice President for Development in Middle East and Africa, Kirk Kinsell said some owners and developers are retendering their projects due to land issues and this is causing delays. He said many projects are not delayed, including the one on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, and they are confident many hotels will be completed on schedule.
IHG President for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Kurt Kinsell said they are continuing to expand noting they introduced Staybridge in Cairo last year. He said they must balance their expansion between the regions of UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the Near East.