20% jobs growth predicted in GCC hospitality sector

JOBS GROWTH: About 90,000 additional hospitality staff will be needed in the GCC up to 2011, according to new figures.

Job opportunities in the GCC's hospitality industry is predicted to grow at a rate of 20 percent over the next four years, according to new Dubai-based hospitality networking and human resources portal Hozpitality.com .

The Gulf region has about 240 projects expected to become operational between 2008-2011 and website bosses estimate that 90,000 additional staff will be needed to cater for more than 69,000 rooms.

The UAE leads these developments with 133 new hotels adding up to about 42,400 rooms leading to a manpower need of 56,000,” said Raj Bhatt, director, Hozpitality.com.

“We believe that the large number of committed hospitality projects in the Middle East, North Africa and Levant region, coupled with the growth in travel and tourism will help the industry sustain its growth momentum.

"The financial crisis may have its impact, but we do believe that what is happening in the regional hospitality industry right now is an unprecedented opportunity and Hozpitality.com stand to gain from it,” added Bhatt.

“Even if one looks at the current crisis scenario and allow some decrease in momentum in development, the opportunity regional hospitality industry opens up would be far better than anywhere else in the world,” he said.

While recruitment will be the core activity on the website, the portal will be a platform where the entire hospitality community can network while positing jobs or applying for live jobs.

In GCC, Saudi Arabia has the second largest number of new hotel developments at 45 projects with a need for 13,300 new hands, while Oman and Qatar with 23 and 21 new projects would need 7,345 and 8,100 staff respectively during 2008-2011.

Bahrain would need some 4,517 new recruits with 12 new developments expected to come on stream and Kuwait 1,700 staff with six projects.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Hotel growth
Posted by Bob Farrow on Thursday 27 November 2008 at 16:06 UAE time


So that means 1 new hotel every 4.5 days!!!

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