Cavendish Maxwell released its assessment of GCC hotel supply and performance at the 2026 Future Hospitality Summit World on Tuesday 29 September 2026. The consultancy puts the region's pipeline at nearly 126,000 new rooms by 2030. That takes total inventory across the six GCC markets to about 616,000 rooms, a 25 per cent lift on current supply.
Occupancy fell year on year in all six markets between January and August 2026. Regional tension from March disrupted international air connectivity.
The arithmetic behind the 25 per cent
The six markets hold close to 490,000 rooms in operation today. Adding 126,000 brings the count to 616,000, and 126,000 equals 25.7 per cent of 490,000. The release states the growth as 25 per cent.
The six markets in the release
The countries covered are the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. The percentages below are Cavendish Maxwell's own, and the release gives no monthly series behind them.
Where the current stock sits
The UAE holds around 43 per cent of the region's operating rooms. Cavendish Maxwell puts the Emirates at 212,135 hotel keys as of August 2026, including approximately 151,380 in Dubai.
Saudi Arabia carries the largest share of the expansion. Almost 94,500 rooms sit in its pipeline, which takes the Kingdom's planned 2030 inventory to nearly 275,300. The UAE ranks second, with more than 23,000 rooms under development including 11,180 in Dubai.
Occupancy fell in every market
Saudi Arabia recorded the mildest decline, averaging 59 per cent occupancy, just under 3 per cent below the same period a year earlier. Bahrain recorded the steepest fall, averaging just under 37 per cent, down 31 per cent.
The UAE averaged 59 per cent occupancy, a decline of almost a quarter, with Dubai down 27 per cent. Kuwait averaged about 38 per cent, down 18 per cent. Oman stood at 48 per cent, down 13 per cent, and Qatar at 60 per cent.
Rates held while occupancy fell
Average daily rates moved up in three of the six markets over the same eight months. Kuwait recorded ADR just below $199, up 3.2 per cent year on year. Oman rose nearly 1 per cent to $142, and Saudi Arabia added 0.6 per cent to about $199.
Qatar fell 4.5 per cent to $117. The UAE fell 7 per cent to $165, and Dubai recorded just under $168, down nearly 9 per cent. Cavendish Maxwell reads the split as hotels prioritising pricing over volume.
The forward read for Dubai and the rest
Vidhi Shah MRICS, Director and Head of Commercial Valuation at Cavendish Maxwell, attributes the downturn to regional tension from March. She says it created a pronounced demand shock, disrupted air connectivity and dampened traveller confidence. She forecasts Dubai's average occupancy for the peak season at 60 per cent to 66 per cent, with ADR between $163 and $183, both below 2025 levels.
Shah cites the UAE government's $680 million-plus relief package and destination marketing as recovery drivers. For Saudi Arabia she names domestic tourism, pilgrimage traffic and Vision 2030 development as a structural demand base less exposed to international disruption. For Oman she points to the Khareef season and the coming winter, and for Qatar to the MotoGP and Formula 1 Grand Prix.
She adds that Saudi Arabia is comparatively better positioned for the fourth quarter. Oman entered the year among the region's stronger performers before a sharp second-quarter reversal. Limited new supply this year holds down additional competitive pressure. Qatar's international visitor market is gradually normalising, she says.
Who published the figures
Cavendish Maxwell describes itself as a real estate advisory and hospitality property consultancy, and the assessment is its own. The release ran in the summit's own content library and in coverage that included Gulf Daily News, Khaleej Times and Hotel and Catering.
What the figures leave open
The published reproductions carry country totals with no project-level list, no opening schedule, no operator split and no monthly occupancy series. The country figures therefore stand without a lower-level breakdown.