Northern soul

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Ras Al Khaimah.

The Northern Emirates can provide a welcome break for locals and a true Arabic experience for visitors to the UAE, as Gareth Rees reports.

Ras Al Khaimah

With RAK Tourism claiming a 100% increase in visitor numbers to the Emirate and 89% hotel room occupancy throughout 2007, Ras Al Khaimah's hotel industry is looking decidedly healthy.

RAK Tourism manager Hilary McCormack argues that the Emirate is in no way competing with Dubai or even the other Northern Emirates.

"We are focused on developing our own personality based around an authentic and culturally-focused Arabic experience. We are also looking to develop more soft adventure activities around the mountains in addition to water sports activities," she says.

Currently RAK hotels receive 80% leisure guests and 20% business, but the business market is growing.

"We get primarily leisure visitors, with a steadily growing business segment. As more new companies open in the Free Zones of Ras Al Khaimah we expect a levelling of the numbers between the two segments," she says.

The challenge for Ras Al Khaimah is to ensure that the growth of the hotel industry matches the rising visitor numbers, but that problem is being solved according to McCormack.

"The main challenge is the lack of hotel rooms, but this is only a short-term issue, as in late-2008 and early-2009 we will see the next hotels coming into the market.

In 2008 the opening of the five-star, 101-villa Banyan Tree Desert Spa and Resort, Ras Al Khaimah and the five-star 261-room The Cove Rotana Resort & Spa will add to the five current five-star hotels already providing 1190 rooms.

The most popular of these five properties according to McCormack are the two Al Hamra Village properties and the Hilton Beach Club.

"These are both very spacious beach properties, with Al Hamra Village offering an 18-hole championship golf course, a 200 berth marina and two hotels and the Hilton Beach Club coming in early 2008: a lovely new beach property with a roof-top bar that offers stunning ocean views and a good selection of restaurants," she says.

Following on from that, 2009 will see the arrival of the five-star 400-room Mina Al Arab Rotana Resort, the five-star 300-room Ras Al Khaimah Marriott Resort and the five-star 269-room Radisson SAS Al Qurm Ras Al Khaimah, with the four-star 250-room Golden Tulip Ras Al Khaimah coming on line in 2010.

"We will have 20 hotels in the next five years and between 30 and 40 properties in approximately 10 years, offering an estimated 350 rooms each. This will relieve the pressure," says McCormack.

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