May 12 – Fairmont Raffles Hotels International announced that the Fairmont Palm Jumeirah project may open in the fourth quarter of 2011. Speaking to journalists at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai last week, the group’s Executive Vice-President for Operations, Middle East, North Africa and Asia Pacific, David Roberts, said: “Fairmont is still very much involved in ongoing discussions with the ownership group and we are depending on them to complete the hotel. We expect it to take one year to complete.”
When asked if The Fairmont Palm Jumeirah could be operational by Q4 2011, Roberts said: “It would be wonderful if it is open by then.” While the first phase of the entire Kingdom of Sheba residence and hotel project was originally scheduled to open for business in 2010, Fairmont was to open in 2009/2010, according to earlier reports.
