French hotel group Accor has announced plans to open the largest economy hotel in the Middle East at the Dubai World Trade Centre District (DWTCD), a new commercial development in Dubai’s business district.

Construction of the 588-room Ibis Dubai World Trade Centre District hotel is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2014, with completion due in the final quarter of 2015.

As the second Ibis hotel at Dubai World Trade Centre, and Accor’s third property near the site, the new hotel brings the number of Accor rooms in the district to 1,210.

“I am delighted that this new Ibis hotel reinforces our successful partnership with Dubai World Trade Centre, strengthens the Ibis brand in the region and confirms Accor as one of the fastest-growing hospitality groups in the Middle East,” said Christophe Landais, chief operating officer for Accor Hotel Services Middle East.

In March, Dubai World Trade Centre awarded UAE-based Al-Futtaim Carillion an AED375m ($102m) contract to build the first phase of the Dubai World Trade Centre District.  

The initial phase of the 146,000-square-metre (sq m) development, which is being built between the current Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and Emirates Towers, includes an eight-storey office building and the new Ibis hotel.

The local Alec was awarded the $910m deal to build the development in May 2008, but construction work on the project stalled in December 2008 amid the global financial downturn.

The overall development involves building:

• Seven towers with 242,000 sq m of offices
• A 35,000-sq-m four-star hotel
• A 22,000-sq-m three-star hotel
• 20,000 sq m of retail space
• A four-level, 110,000-sq-m basement.

The UK’s Mace International is the cost manager. Hopkins Architects, also of the UK, is the consultant, and another UK-based firm, WSP, is the structural, mechanical and electrical engineer.