Dubai expects its number of available hotel rooms  to increase from 94,000 at the start of 2015 to 164,000 by 2020, according to the GCC Hospitality & Leisure Recreation Report 2016 published earlier this month.

The report, commissioned on the occasion of The Big 5 construction exhibition set to take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 21-24 November, values combined value of the hospitality sector across the GCC countries to stand at $126.8 bn. The report further places the value of hospitality and recreation developments in the UAE alone at $83.8 bn.

The Big 5 exhibition in Dubai is expected to attract 75,000 participants and over 3,000 exhibitors. Big 5 Event Director Josine Heijmans noted the positive prospects in the industry and pointed to the fact that tourism contributes 8.5% of the UAE’s GDP, stating that “the Big 5 2016 will capitalise on these opportunities,“ Arabian Business reported on Sunday.