Ritz-Carlton will start work this summer to double the size of its hotel in Dubai. Currently a 138-room hotel on the beach in the emirate's Marina area, Simon Cooper, global President and COO, said the 'relatively small hotel' will be expanded outwards rather than upwards, with the build taking about two years to complete. Speaking to AME Info, he added that its hotel in Dubai's financial district - DIFC - will open before year end. Cooper said the Middle East is of growing importance to Ritz-Carlton, with the company keen on expanding its presence in Egypt, Oman and Lebanon.