Rotana Hotels Management Group (Rotana) was founded in 1992 by Nasser Al Nowais and Selim El Zyr. The part- nership started with one facility in Abu Dhabi in 1993 and grew to over 85 across the Middle East and North Africa region. Throughout this journey of expansion, Rotana has been awarded tens of different awards including "the Middle East leading hotel brand" for four years in a row. The company is very clear about its strategy and expansion plan: We are dedicated to raising the standards within the hotel industry . . . we will continue to achieve measured growth and realize expansion throughout the ME, bringing our expertise to future hotels, con- vention centers, clubs, serviced apartments and prime resorts . . . we will pursue new openings and opportunities, fresh challenges, and partners who seek the same goals and share the same aspiration. Omer Kaddouri, Rotana's President and CEO, indi- cated that the company which is based in the Middle East, has decided to become a global hotel chain; "we decided to move out of our comfort zone . . . we are moving into places like Turkey and Africa and hopefully to Europe one day." He added: "we have 50 operating hotels and 50 in development . . . We are looking to have 100 operating hotels and another 100 hotels in develop- ment . . . in about seven years"Chairman Nasser Al Nowais also outlines the strategic position of the company very clearly, indicating that their aim is to have a property located in every key city in the region, and that this goal is being steadily achieved through careful long-term planning and timely action. Al Nowais says that, "Rotana today is the result of a shared vision and many years of loyalty, dedication, and hard work. Knowing who we are and what we are capable of is of great value, creating a solid foundation that allows us to move forward with confidence, know- ing that our future is secure."