Shurooq, also known as the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority, has revealed plans to open four new boutique hotels within the next two years, reported The National.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Future Hospitality Summit held from September 25–27, 2023, Shurooq chief executive Ahmed Al Qaseer told the news agency that these four hotels will be located in Kalba, Khorfakkan and near the Sharjah Safari project, saying that “there is excellent demand; that’s why we are expanding".

The amount of investment for these openings has not been disclosed.

The hotel in Khorfakkan is scheduled to begin operations this year, while two hotels are expected to open next year. The hotel, to be located near Sharjah Safari, is set to open in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025.

With these new openings, the count of hotel rooms in Shurooq’s portfolio will increase to over 300.

Al Qaseer further said: “We are looking for tourists who are interested in experiences, in terms of food, in terms of activities.

“We are trying to expand to reach international tourists.”

Shurooq’s hotels have been receiving both domestic and international tourists, especially from Asia and Europe, with the count of tourists, according to Al Qaseer, being back to pre-Covid levels. 

It intends to double the room capacity at some of its hotels in Sharjah in the wake of the growing number of tourists.

Al Qaseer added: “Our hotels are achieving the highest ADRs (average daily rate) in Sharjah.

“Occupancy levels were above 75% from last year. This year, we are expecting to do better than last year.”

Figures from the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority indicate that the hotels in the emirate welcomed 467,775 guests in Q1 2023, an increase of 33% as against the same period of 2022.

During this period, the total revenue posted by hotels surged 26% annually to Dh190m ($51.7m). The revenue per available room grew by 5% to Dh177, while the ADR increased by 13% to Dh252.