Dubai-based developer Nakheel is set to build nine hotels over the next five years, MEED’s Destination Dubai 2020 conference, held in Dubai on 28-29 January, has been told.

Sanjay Manchanda, CEO of Nakheel, told delegates that the developer was planning to build the hotels over the “next 3-5 years”.

The first hotel, which is located at the Dragonmart shopping development on the outskirts of Dubai, is due to open in 2014, said Manchanda. The developer also has hotel projects under way on the Palm Jumeirah island, Ibn Battuta shopping development and the International City real estate scheme.

Five of the hotels will be on the Deira Islands (pictured), the development on the base of what was originally going to be Palm Deira.

The Dubai government estimates it will need to double the number of hotel rooms in preparation for hosting the Expo in 2020. About 25 million people are expected to attend the event, with 70 per cent of these expected to arrive from abroad. Earlier at the Destination Dubai conference, Helal Saeed al-Marri, director-general of Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said the emirate had achieved some of the highest-ever occupancy rates in its hotels in 2013.