The announcement was made during a signing ceremony held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and attended by H.E. Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of ADNEC and the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA); Abdulla Khalfan Al Romaithi, Managing Director of the National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels (NCT&H); and other prominent government officials and ADNEC executives.

´Capital Centre serves as the cornerstone of our strategy to develop Abu Dhabi into a key business tourism destination. I am therefore delighted to see the start of a new development by Danat Hotels and Resorts; this will be a major element of Capital Centre and will be to the benefit of the millions of visitors who will come to the destination over the next few years.” said H.E. Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of ADNEC.

The Danat project will be located on a 10,360-square metre plot along the Al Khaleej Al Arabi coastal road across from the waterfront Marina Zone, with a built up area of up to 60,000 square meters. Upon completion, the Danat project will join the Capital Centre´s impressive line-up of hotels, residential and commercial towers, retail zone, stunning marina and other mixed-use developments that will enhance the local landscape.

“This development will add value to the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events (MICE) industry´s development in Abu Dhabi, and we are confident that our plans for this prime plot will exceed expectations. Danat Hotels and Resort, is a company with a strong national identity as all shareholders are UAE nationals; as such it is fully dedicated to the development of the UAE, particularly Abu Dhabi, which has shown a remarkable performance in the exhibition industry,” said Abdulla Khalfan Matar Al Romaithi, Managing Director of NCT&H.

Danat Hotels and Resorts, a division of the National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels, boasts a high-profile portfolio of luxury hotels that includes two five-star resorts – Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna located 250 kilometres west of Abu Dhabi City in Ruwais, and the Al Raha Beach Hotel, the first five-star deluxe boutique hotel in Abu Dhabi.

It also owns the InterContinental Abu Dhabi and InterContinental Resort in Al Ain, and manages the Liwa Hotel and Mirfa Hotel, four-star deluxe hotels located in Abu Dhabi. National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels is based in Abu Dhabi and was established in 1996 as a semi-government organization that aims to develop tourism and commerce in the UAE, particularly in the capital Abu Dhabi. It engages in national transport, industrial catering, hotel acquisition and management.

ADNEC is a first-class MICE venue that sits at the heart of the Capital Centre. Phase 2 of ADNEC has recently commenced, and the AED 580 million (USD 158 million) development is poised to double the size of the venue to make it the Middle East´s largest purpose-built exhibition centre with inter-connected exhibition floor space totalling more than 55,000 square metres. Phase 2 of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre is scheduled for completion in 2008.

About NCT&H:

The National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels (NCT&H) was formed in 1996 as a semi-government joint venture. The shareholders are all UAE Nationals. The National Corporation for Tourism & Hotel’s primary objective is to promote Abu Dhabi as an international destination, supervise and manage hotels and provide transportation and catering services.

The National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels provides comprehensive services and facilities through destination management services, hotels, catering and national transport. Travellers can rest assured that their requirements will be fulfilled to the highest of international standards.

About öADNEC: The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) is a first class MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) venue in the Middle East. ADNEC is following an expansion strategy with the aim of catalyzing the MICE industry in the UAE capital, and is developing a brand new 148,000 square metre business and leisure district termed the Capital Centre. Situated close to the Airport, the AED 8 billion Centre will house the state-of-the-art Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, an iconic 35-storeyed Feature Tower, a micro-city consisting residential, commercial and hotel accommodation, a marina and waterfront leisure zone and an existing grandstand. The exhibition centre project is being undertaken in three phases, and is expected to complete by 2009.

For further information please contact:

Ben Collins
Marketing Manager
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company
Tel: + 971 2 4446900
Fax: + 971 2 4446135
P.O.Box: 5546
Email: ben.collins@adnec.ae
Website: www.adnec.ae

Or

Group Marketing
Danat Hotels and Resorts
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Tel: + 971 2 4099999
Fax: +971 2 4099990
P.O.Box: 6942
Email: ncth@emirates.net.ae
Website: www.ncth.com

Or

Orient Planet, PR & Marketing Communications
P.O. Box 23345, Dubai UAE
Tel: 00 971 4 3988901
Fax: 00 971 4 3988941
Email: info@orientplanet.com
Website: www.orientplanet.com