Dubai, UAE – Millennium & Copthorne, MENAT is set to showcase a 29-project development pipeline totaling 11,736 hotel and residential units across six markets at Arabian Travel Market 2026, underscoring the group’s accelerating expansion across the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.

The pipeline includes 5,637 hotel rooms and 6,099 residential units across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Iraq, Georgia and Oman. The signed developments are currently scheduled to open between 2027 and 2029.

The latest figures highlight the scale of Millennium’s regional growth strategy following the establishment of its MENAT platform in February 2026 under the leadership of Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi. The unified structure brings the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey under a single regional platform designed to strengthen coordination across development, operations and long-term portfolio planning.

Millennium currently operates 41 hotels across 20 cities and locations in the Middle East and Africa, providing an established operating base for its next phase of expansion.

Owner-Operator Model Shapes Expansion Strategy

A key element of the group’s strategy is its owner-operator business model, which enables Millennium to assess development opportunities from both operational and investment perspectives.

The approach has become particularly relevant amid a challenging regional travel environment during the first half of 2026. With market conditions placing greater emphasis on investment discipline, the company says it is evaluating potential projects based on factors including market fundamentals, timing, asset performance, demand prospects and long-term returns, rather than simply increasing the number of properties in its portfolio.

“We believe challenging markets test the strength of a hospitality business,” said Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi, President of Millennium & Copthorne, MENAT.

“Being both an owner and an operator gives us the discipline to understand where demand is real, where capital can work hardest and where the right partnerships can create sustainable long-term value.”

He cited projects including Grand Millennium Sumou Al Madinah in Saudi Arabia and Grand Millennium New Capital Tycoon Towers Cairo in Egypt as examples of the type of long-term opportunities Millennium is targeting across MENAT.

“Our 29-project pipeline is significant, but scale alone is not the objective,” Alzaabi added. “What matters is executing the right projects, in the right markets, with the right partners.”

Residences Account for More Than Half of Future Portfolio

Millennium’s expansion is increasingly extending beyond traditional hotel operations, with residential developments now accounting for more than half of the group’s future regional portfolio.

Of the 11,736 units in the pipeline, 6,099 are residential units. Egypt is the largest contributor to this segment, with 5,264 residences alongside 600 hotel rooms across nine projects.

The UAE pipeline includes another 835 residences and 842 hotel rooms, further highlighting the growing role of branded residences in Millennium’s regional strategy.

Millennium Residences Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, launched in September 2025, marked the group’s first branded-residences project in the region and represents its broader move into hospitality-linked residential assets.

The group’s diversification also extends to its loyalty offering. MyMillennium currently operates across three membership tiers — Classic, Silver and Prestige — while partnerships with IHCL’s Taj InnerCircle and the launch of MyMillennium Kids in July 2026 have expanded the programme’s reach across markets and customer segments.

MENAT Platform Moves Into Execution Phase

The creation of the MENAT platform in February 2026 marked a shift toward a more coordinated regional approach to development and operations.

Several portfolio milestones have already contributed to the group’s expansion, including the relaunch of Al Aqeeq and Taiba in Madinah in August 2025, the reopening of Grand Millennium Business Bay in September 2025 and the launch of Millennium Residences Saadiyat Island during the same month.

The group’s current pre-opening and under-construction portfolio includes developments in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Egypt and Georgia.

Among them are Millennium Abha in Al Abha, Copthorne Al Basateen in Jeddah, Copthorne Madinah and Grand Millennium Sumou Al Madinah in Saudi Arabia; Grand Millennium Danah Bay in Ras Al Khaimah, Millennium Talia Residences in Dubai and Biltmore Residences in Al Sufouh in the UAE; Millennium Al Sahil in Al Qurayyat, Oman; Grand Millennium New Capital Tycoon Towers in Cairo; and the Georgia Residence Project.

Several of these projects will also extend Millennium’s presence into new cities and locations.

Saudi Arabia Leads Hotel Development Pipeline

Saudi Arabia represents Millennium’s largest hotel development market within the current pipeline, with 11 projects comprising 3,579 hotel rooms and accounting for 30.5% of total pipeline units.

Egypt, meanwhile, is the group’s largest market by total future inventory. Its nine projects comprise 5,864 units, including 600 hotel rooms and 5,264 residences, representing approximately half of the group’s overall pipeline.

The UAE accounts for six projects and 1,677 units, divided almost evenly between 842 hotel rooms and 835 residences.

The remaining hotel inventory is spread across Iraq, Georgia and Oman, with 271 rooms in Iraq, 285 in Georgia and 60 in Oman.

Religious Tourism Supports Saudi Growth Outlook

Saudi Arabia remains a central pillar of Millennium’s regional expansion strategy, supported by the Kingdom’s tourism transformation and the continued strength of religious tourism.

The group’s established presence in Makkah and Madinah provides exposure to one of the region’s more resilient sources of hospitality demand, while its growing Saudi pipeline positions it to benefit from opportunities spanning religious, leisure, business and events-led tourism.

Market data also points to continued resilience in the Holy Cities. According to Knight Frank’s 2026 Saudi hospitality and religious tourism report, Makkah remained the Kingdom’s strongest-performing hospitality market, recording an average daily rate of SAR 775 and year-on-year RevPAR growth of 4.7% as of June 2026.

Madinah also continued to show resilience, with average occupancy reaching 76% and ADR increasing by 2.7% year on year.

The figures underline the continued importance of religious tourism to Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector and the longer-term investment potential associated with the Kingdom’s tourism expansion.

Building on an Established Regional Footprint

Millennium’s MENAT strategy builds on a long-standing presence across the Middle East and Africa. With 41 operating hotels across 20 cities and locations, the group enters its next phase of expansion with an established operational platform.

The company says its unified MENAT structure is intended to translate regional strengths — including international connectivity, tourism investment, infrastructure development and investor confidence — into a scalable growth model while maintaining focus on brand standards, operational performance and long-term asset value.

For Alzaabi, the owner-operator model also provides a broader perspective on expansion, incorporating factors such as return on investment, market timing, supply and demand, operational efficiency and overall portfolio discipline.

Millennium & Copthorne, MENAT will present its development pipeline and engage with owners, investors, partners and travel industry stakeholders at Arabian Travel Market 2026, taking place from September 14 to 17 at Dubai World Trade Centre.

The group will exhibit at Exhibition Hall 3, Stand HC3010.