RIU and Nakheel’s 800-room joint venture at Deira Islands books December 2020 opening date
- GM appointed for Riu Dubai resort and splash water park
- This new hospitality offering is RIU’s 100th property worldwide
Riu Dubai, Nakheel’s 800-room joint venture with Spain’s RIU Hotels & Resorts, is set to open in December 2020, bringing a new hospitality concept to Dubai and marking the 100th RIU establishment worldwide.
Fit out of the resort – RIU’s first in the Middle East and the first 4-star, all-inclusive beachfront resort in Dubai – has been completed, with the splash water park in the final stages of construction and landscaping work under way.
Thorsten Ries, Managing Director, Nakheel Hospitality and Leisure, said: “Our first international joint venture brings a new dimension to Dubai’s tourism sector, providing a fresh concept in accommodation and attracting a new market segment to the emirate. We are proud to partner with RIU to create the Riu Dubai, a shining example of our commitment to delivering a diverse range of tourism-related projects in line with government goals.”
Nader has spent his entire 27-year hospitality career with RIU, running 10 resorts and opening several five-star, all-inclusive properties, including, most recently, the Riu Palace Tikida Agadir. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Hotel Management, and master’s degrees in International Commerce and Tourism, specialising in new destinations, and in Protocol, Communications and Events. He also speaks fluent Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Italian and German.
“It is an honour to join this incredible resort and be part of RIU’s first venture in the Middle East, made all the more special as this is our 100th property worldwide,” he said. “We are already seeing a lot of interest from guests keen to experience Dubai’s famous wow factor, and are thrilled to be opening in time for the festive and peak travel seasons.”
Deira Islands, Nakheel’s new, 15 square kilometre waterfront city, has added 40 kilometres of coastline to Dubai, and is transforming the emirate’s oldest and most traditional trading hub into a world class destination for living, tourism, retail and leisure.
About Nakheel
Nakheel is one of the great transformers and contributors in the expression of Dubai’s vision for the 21st century: creating a top-quality destination to live, do business and enjoy tourism. Its portfolio of iconic and innovative projects in Dubai includes fields such as residential, retail, hospitality and leisure. Some of its most famous projects include: The World, Deira Islands, Jumeirah Islands, Jumeirah Village and The Gardens.
About RIU Hotels & Resorts
The international RIU chain was founded in Mallorca by the Riu family in 1953 as a small holiday firm and is still owned by the family's third generation. The company specialises in holiday resorts and over 74% of its establishments offer its acclaimed All Inclusive by RIU service. With the inauguration of its first city hotel in 2010, RIU is expanding its range of products with its own line of city hotels called Riu Plaza. RIU Hotels & Resorts now has 98 hotels in 21 countries. In 2024, the chain welcomed 6,7 million guests and provided jobs for a total of 38.055 employees. RIU is currently the world's 40th ranked chain, one of the Caribbean's most popular, and the fourth largest in Spain in number of rooms.
