Mubasher: Swiss-Belhotel International plans to expand its business across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by opening new hotels in the GCC as its main growth market in the region.

The leading hospitality entity plans to have 25 hotels representing approximately 6000 rooms across the MENA region by 2025, said Laurent Voivenel, the Swiss-Belhotel International’s senior vice president for operations and development for the Middle East, Africa, and India.

“However, GCC will continue to be our biggest market with 60% of portfolio concentrated here in high-growth business and leisure destinations,” Voivenel added, according to a press release on Monday.

“Geographically speaking, our key focus is to expand and reinforce our position in the GCC through strong organic growth with an objective to have a hotel in operation in every GCC country by the first quarter of 2020,” Voivenel said, unveiling the group’s expansion strategy at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM).

Swiss-Belhotel International also plans to open seven exceptional hotels, two in Kuwait, one in Oman, two in Bahrain, one in Saudi Arabia, and one in Qatar during 2019.

Laurent noted, “With 17% of our global portfolio of hotels centered in the Middle East and Africa region, comprising 3000 rooms, it is a very important region for us. Overall our strategy is to accelerate expansion across the MENA region whereby we have mapped out exciting opportunities.”