Content Library
Podcasts
In this episode of the FHS Podcast, Hala Matar Choufany, President of HVS Middle East, Africa and South Asia, shares insights from more than two decades of advising hospitality investors, developers and hotel owners across global markets. From navigating geopolitical uncertainty and understanding investment risk to translating hotel performance data into smarter decisions, Hala explores what drives long-term value in hospitality. The conversation also examines emerging investment opportunities in Egypt, the resilience of the UAE market and the evolving role of women in hospitality leadership, drawing on her own journey and the lessons that have shaped her career.
In this FHS Egypt Podcast feature, Kerten Hospitality Chief Experience Officer Anthony Duce breaks down the shift from standard hotel amenities to emotional storytelling, local community integration, and year-round destination programming. Discover how Egypt's hospitality sector is evolving across the North Coast and Red Sea, and why memorable stays begin with employee-first leadership.
Egypt is becoming a central growth market for Aleph Hospitality as the company works toward 100 operating hotels by 2029. In this FHS Egypt podcast, Bani Haddad, Founder and Co-CEO of Aleph Hospitality, discusses why Egypt stands out within Africa’s hotel pipeline, where he sees opportunity across Cairo, the Red Sea and North Coast, and what makes a project commercially viable from the start. He also explains why local market knowledge, strong owner relationships and early operator involvement matter when turning hotel developments into long-term operating businesses.
Press room
Minor Hotels has signed Ampersand Beach House, a 111-key boutique lifestyle hotel under Colbert Collection on Dubai Islands. Set to open in late 2029, the project will bring Ampersand’s London-born concept to Dubai with a focus on design-led, personalised and experience-driven luxury.
Knowledge Economic City (KEC) has signed two exclusive brokerage agreements with Keller Williams Saudi Arabia and RE/MAX Smart Concept for selected residential buildings within its Al Alyaa project in Madinah. Covering approximately 368 residences, the agreements will support Al Alyaa’s sales strategy and expand its reach among qualified local and international buyers and investors. The agreements were signed during FHS World 2026 in Dubai.
FHS World will return to Ras Al Khaimah in November 2027, taking place at Wynn Al Marjan Island through a joint initiative between RAKTDA, Marjan and The Bench. The event is expected to welcome around 1,200 delegates, 250 investors and 200 speakers from 60+ countries, with a programme focused on hospitality investment, destination development, wellness, branded residences, sustainability, technology and AI.
Industry news
Mohamed Amer, CEO of El Gouna Red Sea and Managing Director at Orascom Development Egypt, shares how El Gouna evolved from a resort concept into a fully-fledged town of 25,000+ residents from more than 50 nationalities. He discusses the destination’s focus on long-term placemaking, quality-led growth, sustainability, hospitality and residential development, including Marina Island by Tuban and the new Sofitel partnership. At the heart of El Gouna’s strategy is a simple principle: every new addition should strengthen the town’s identity, community and long-term liveability rather than simply add scale.
Institutional capital keeps circling Africa but seldom lands. The hesitation is not about opportunity. It is about trust. Global investors still price African tourism and hospitality as if they are betting on volatility rather than performance.
Hotel revenues in the UAE surged past AED 26 billion in the first half of 2025, marking a 6.3% increase year-on-year, with occupancy rates hitting 80.5%. Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri attributed the growth to strong public-private collaboration, aligned with the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which targets a AED 450 billion contribution to GDP by the next decade. Preparations are also underway for the UAE–Africa Tourism Investment Summit, part of FHS World 2025, which will bring together ministers and senior officials from 53 African nations.
Reports
What changes when the systems work together? The paper follows information from the underlying architecture to the guest relationship, operating decisions and owner return. Each stage combines relevant partner arguments with evidence and a shared industry question.
AI in hospitality is moving beyond the guest interface and into the way projects are designed, delivered, and operated.
The 2026 U.S.-Iran conflict has emerged as one of the most significant geopolitical disruptions to affect GCC hospitality since the COVID-19 period, creating immediate pressure on aviation, traveller confidence, hotel performance, and investment activity across the region. While the operational shock has begun to stabilise following the ceasefire announcement and easing airspace restrictions, investor sentiment remains cautious and increasingly selective.