Gulf In Focus - Guests from UAE and Saudi Arabia dominate hotel eid bookings.

UAE residents and visitors from Saudi Arabia are dominating hotel bookings across the UAE, as the country prepares for the long Eid break, hospitality experts revealed.

Speaking to source, many hotel and travel officials noted that Dubai remained a popular destination in the GCC, especially during the Eid breaks, due to its wide range of family friendly offerings.

"With the long Eid break, we can really expect to see more guests from the UAE and Saudi Arabia in our hotel since we are very close to City Walk, one of the most popular destinations in Dubai," said JS Anand, chief executive officer of LEVA Hotels and Resorts.

He added that guests have started looking at holidays in a manner that doesn't require "master planning."

"We are expecting to see last-minute reservations from UAE residents in our hotel that take advantage of our staycation offers for the GCC and UAE markets - stay four nights and get one night free," he explained. "We are also receiving a good amount of reservations and queries from Saudi guests with our special rates. Our bigger units such as the 'Family Club' suite with three cluster bedrooms and 'Deluxe Interconnecting' rooms are popular during this time among GCC visitors travelling with their families to celebrate Eid."

Suhaila Saqer Obaid Ghubash, director of Events and Festivals, Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment, also spoke about how the retail...