The number of hotel rooms in Qatar is forecast to grow by 12.2 per cent to 17,642 in 2013, the first Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) regional briefing on Qatar was told on 24 March.

This compares with growth of 21 per cent in 2012, STR Global Middle East & Africa Area Director Philip Wooller said. He went on to say that he estimated that a total of 2,153 rooms will open in 2013 and about 2,000 further rooms in each of the succeeding two years. Wooler said that Qatar had 9,268 hotel rooms at the end of 2008.

The average room rate for Qatar hotels in 2012 was $120, 10.1 per cent below the level recorded in 2011. Wooller said that potential demand for hotel rooms was substantial.