Dubai, UAE – 3 May 2017: Affirming its commitment to the growth and development of the tourism sector in Erbil and towards creating employment opportunities for Kurdish youth in the hospitality sector, Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region with hotels across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, today officially inaugurated the first hotel under its “Arjaan” hotel apartments brand in Iraq – Erbil Arjaan by Rotana. The inauguration ceremony was held under the patronage of H.E. Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

A first-of-its-kind concept in the Kurdistan region that introduces a new class of modern and stylish hotel apartments to the capital city, Erbil Arjaan by Rotana will be managed by Rotana on behalf of Malia Group, a leading business conglomerate in the Middle East with activities spanning six different sectors including hospitality and real estate.

On this occasion, Mr. Nasser Al Nowais, Chairman of Rotana, said: "The inauguration of the new hotel reinforces our strategic partnership with Malia Group which began nearly six years ago with the opening of the five-star Erbil Rotana, which has since managed to attract more than half a million guests with an annual average occupancy rate of 70%, indicating the region’s tourism potential. Rotana is committed to contributing to the development of the tourism and hospitality sector in Erbil, and the opening of Erbil Arjaan by Rotana marks a new chapter in our efforts in this direction. We thank all Rotana staff members who worked hard to make this project a reality.”

Jacques Jean Sarraf, Chairman of Malia Group, said, “Malia Group recognises the vast potential for tourism in Kurdistan and we remain dedicated to investing in the region’s fast-growing hospitality sector. With the opening of Erbil Arjaan by Rotana, we introduce a new hospitality concept to the region and we look forward to developing many more such projects in the future.”

A modern and elegantly designed property offering 168 spacious, fully furnished hotel apartments, Erbil Arjaan by Rotana features two exclusive food and beverage venues and 24-hour in-room dining service, in addition to a range of world-class facilities including seven meeting rooms equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment, 25 fully-furnished serviced offices and a state-of-the-art Bodylines Fitness and Wellness Club

Ideally located on 100 Street at the Baharka Bridge intersection of the city, Erbil Arjaan by Rotana was developed with both long-term guests and families in mind, combining spacious accommodation and a contemporary design to closely resemble a home environment, closing the gap between hotel room and home.

The city of Erbil was chosen as the destination to launch this pioneering concept based on Rotana’s continued success with its properties in Iraq which also include the five-star Erbil Rotana and Karbala Rayhaan by Rotana. Erbil is in the midst of an economic boom with a spate of construction and infrastructure development activities taking place in the city alongside advances in the healthcare and education sectors.

Headquartered in Beirut, Malia Group’s other investments in the hospitality sector include the Erbil Rotana hotel, Magma Square in Sulaimani, Kurdistan, and Natour Development in Enfeh, Lebanon, among others. These projects are developed by Kurdistan-based construction and project management company, Malia C.T.I., a subsidiary of Malia Group.