The US’ Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide says it is aiming to have 100 hotels operating in the Middle East by 2020.

In a statement released at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) in Dubai on 27 April, the hotel group said it is on track to grow its portfolio following five new deals that will add about 1,200 rooms in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

“We continue to strengthen Starwood’s position in the region through an aggressive growth stategy that will increase our footprint in the region by 75 per cent in the next five years,” said the group’s president of global development, Simon Turner.

 Starwood’s latest hotel signings include:

• Luxury Collection Hotel and Le Meridien in Lusail, Qatar
• Four Points by Sheraton in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Four Points by Sheraton in Unaizah, Saudi Arabia
• Four Points by Sheraton in Ras al-Khaimah, UAE

The group is also expecting the opening of four hotels this year. These include the Westin Dubai at Al-Habtoor City, the Aloft hotel in Riyadh and Dharan and a Sheraton in Oman.