By Muhammad Waqas arabiangazette.com
Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has issued a new law to regulate the licensing and classification of hotel establishments in the Emirate.
The new rule gives the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) the status of official body to handle the licensing and classification of hotels in the city. The law will come into force three months after its publication in the Official Gazette.
Under the new law, the DTCM has already announced a new ‘Hotel Classification Scheme’. The scheme would classify hotels on the basis of their type and quality of accommodation, one to five star ratings, and the variety of services provided by them. The system categorizes establishments into hotels, resorts and guest houses.
The new classification system was launched last year, but no assessment has been carried out to rate the hotels. The authorities have granted hotel establishments a one-year grace period to improve their rating, category and designators. The hospitality industry in Dubai, featuring about 60,000 out of the total 95,000 rooms in the UAE, is expected to drastically improve its service offerings. During 2012, Dubai hotels boasted impressive average occupancy rates of 76 percent, higher than any other Middle Eastern city. More info
