Rotana hotel jobs to grow by 5,000 across 40 sites

Rotana hotel jobs will grow by 5,000 posts over the next five to six years, as the Abu Dhabi operator pushes ahead with 40 new properties from Saudi Arabia to Georgia.

The pipeline covers 8,334 rooms and sits alongside 78 hotels already trading under Rotana's various brands. Chief executive Philip Barnes says staffing will scale with each opening, from around 80 to 100 employees at smaller properties to 200 to 300 at larger resorts.

Saudi Arabia takes the largest single share of the pipeline. Ten properties, representing 1,404 keys, are under development in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Hail, Abha and Al Baha, mixing established cities with smaller markets where domestic demand is rising.

Rotana's pipeline shows growth without job cuts — a rare pitch in Gulf hospitality.

Beyond the Gulf, Rotana is pushing into Africa and Central Asia. New sites are planned for Islamabad and Mogadishu, and the company signed its first ski resort in Gudauri, Georgia, in June, a dual-property development with around 400 keys.

No layoffs through the downturn

Barnes points to the group's record through the region's recent economic downturn as a pitch to recruits. "We had no layoffs. We had no redundancies," he says, adding that staff shared in temporary salary reductions but no jobs or hotels were cut.

That decision, he argues, protected Rotana's standing as an employer and kept guest satisfaction scores steady while some competitors trimmed headcount. The group currently employs around 10,000 people across roughly 80 hotels.

Three properties have already opened in 2026, including Bloom Arjaan by Rotana, a 217-apartment complex on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. A fourth, Rotana Ras Al Khaimah – The Mangroves, with 258 keys and five dining venues, is due later this year.

Rotana hotel jobs scale with size

Chief operating officer Eddy Tannous says the growth is deliberately slow-moving rather than opportunistic. "Each addition to our portfolio is deliberate and built around a strong local partnership," he says, describing an asset-light model that leans on management contracts rather than outright ownership.

The company is also investing in its Rotana Discovery loyalty programme and an artificial intelligence partnership with Microsoft, betting that digital tools will support rather than replace the extra staff. In a Gulf hospitality market still short of skilled workers, the hiring numbers are watched as closely as the room counts.

The push lands as Gulf hospitality accelerates on several fronts, from restaurant launches such as Rocambolesco's opening in Dubai to the sector rebranding its own rankings, including The 50's relaunch ahead of its Paris ceremony.