Minor Hotel Group (MHG) has announced a strategic partnership with Nakheel to co-invest and develop a 500-key AVANI hotel in Dubai, to open in 2018.

AVANI Deira Dubai Hotel will be located in Deira Islands, a waterfront entertainment, tourist and residential destination being developed in alignment with Dubai Vision 2020.

The AVANI hotel will be close to Dubai International Airport, with views of the Dubai skyline and across the Arabian Gulf.

The new-build hotel is the first of MHG’s AVANI brand to be announced in the UAE. The brand currently has 13 properties in operation in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Seychelles, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Zambia, with a pipeline of further openings.

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO Minor Hotel Group, commented, “We are really excited to announce the launch of our AVANI brand in the UAE and also to be entering into a new strategic partnership with Nakheel, such a well respected partner in the region, and one that we plan to enjoy a fruitful ongoing relationship with going forward. Deira Islands is an impressive project and we are very pleased to have the opportunity to introduce AVANI into the Dubai market in this new development.”

Nakheel Chairman Ali Rashid Lootah, said: “Our partnership with Minor Hotel Group is yet another milestone for our growing hospitality business, and highlights our commitment to creating new tourism concepts in line with the Government of Dubai’s tourism vision for 2021. Our strategy is to join forces with international partners who are serious about being part of Deira Islands, and then bring a range of new, international brands to this new waterfront city. We are delighted to work with Minor Hotel Group as part of this plan. Nakheel now has 1,250 new hotel rooms in the pipeline through joint ventures at Deira Islands, with more exciting partnerships under negotiation.”

MHG currently has a portfolio of nine hotels in the UAE across three of its brands – Anantara, PER AQUUM and Oaks.