Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi: Novotel Sharjah Expo is an important addition to Sharjah's developmental movementDuring a press conference held on Tuesday, United Investment and Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) revealed details of Novotel Sharjah Expo, a business hotel that will soon be inaugurated to serve the emirate's various sectors and participants in the Expo Centre's numerous events.
The press conference was held at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in the presence of Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, who represented United Investment, Abdullah bin Sultan Al Owais, SCCI Board Chairman, Mohammed Ali Al Noman, Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), Jean-Jacques Dessors, Chief Operating Officer Mediterranean, Middle East, Africa & Member of the Accor Group Executive Committee, Hussein Al Mahmoudi, Director-General of SCCI, Khalid Jassim Al Midfaa, Director-General of SCTDA, Khalifa Al Shaibani, Director-General of United Investment and Christophe Landais, Managing Director of Accor Middle East.
In a speech he gave during the press conference, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi said that Novotel Sharjah Expo, which is scheduled for inauguration in the first quarter of 2017, is being developed under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
It will be the official hotel of Expo Centre Sharjah and will comprise 200 rooms that fall under three categories: standard rooms, club floor rooms and executive suites. The club floor will feature enhanced amenities and a lounge area, clarified Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi.
He added: Development is a continuous and cumulative process. It starts with a vision followed by directives and finally implementation. We, in Sharjah, constantly strive, under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to improve our emirate in a way that makes it keep pace with the times and represent a beacon of modernity and authenticity at the same time. It is this striving that spawned the idea to build Novotel Sharjah Expo.
An important addition to Sharjah's developmental movement, the 4-star hotel will feature a business centre with workstations and a small meeting room, in addition to a large meeting-cum-function room of approximately 200 square metres.
Novotel Sharjah Expo, which will be strategically located close to Dubai and SCCI, as well as to vital leisure areas in Sharjah, will be accessible through two main roads.
Indicating that the new hotel is the fruit of a strategic partnership between United Investment, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Accor Hotel Services Middle East, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi confirmed that Novotel Sharjah Expo is set to meet a pressing need in the region and be part of Sharjah's present and future plans.
He added: Boasting a smart and contemporary design, the hotel seeks to offer high-quality services to both businesspeople and tourists. It is true that it mainly aims to attend to the needs of visitors to the Expo Centre and business travellers, but it also targets leisure travellers and connects them to the most vital family leisure areas in the emirate.
Towards the end of his speech, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi said: Novotel Sharjah Expo is poised to complement Sharjah's set of hotels, catering for the emirate's progress in the fields of investment, tourism and economy and highlighting its bright cultural side.
For his part, Al Owais said that entrusting Accor with managing and operating Sharjah Expo Hotel confirms Sharjah's keenness to provide advanced service facilities. This move, according to him, will enhance the services that will be offered by the hotel to visitors to Expo Centre Sharjah during the various economic events it hosts.
SCCI Board Chairman noted that the increase in exhibitions organised by Expo Centre Sharjah required that a hotel be developed to serve businesspeople and guests of those exhibitions.
He emphasised the importance of the partnership between United Investment and SCCI, noting that it would culminate in the addition of another landmark to Sharjah's many touristic and economic landmarks, which are all aimed at the service of the emirate's residents and visitors.
Considering the new hotel more than just a new addition to Sharjah's growing hospitality sector, Al Noman confirmed that Novotel Sharjah Expo marks a new milestone for business and MICE tourism in the emirate of Sharjah.
He added: Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority is delighted to welcome this new initiative, which is another testament to the prestigious position that Sharjah has achieved in the region and the world as the capital of Arab and Islamic culture. We know that it will positively impact the number of visitors to the emirate, especially business travellers and investors. Sharjah has been working hard to establish its importance as a MICE destination and this is certainly a solid and new cornerstone to help propel our world-class conferences and events forward.
From Accor Middle East, Landais said: The signature of a Memorandum of Understanding with Sharjah Expo Hotel LLC for developing Novotel Sharjah Expo today marks the debut for Accor in the emirate of Sharjah. We are looking forward to establishing a fruitful and long-term partnership with Sharjah Expo Hotel LLC.
He added: Our entry into the emirate of Sharjah's promising travel and tourism market reinforces our commitment to the Middle East market, which plays a vital and robust role in Accor's global expansion plans. With a Novotel in a strategic location, we aim to address the needs of all travellers and to contribute to Sharjah's local e
