IFA Hotels & Resorts (IFA HR) and strategic partner Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI) recently opened their resort in Zanzibar in the presence of His Excellency Amani A. Karume the President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, The First Lady of Zanzibar Mrs. Shadia Karume, Deputy Chief Minister of Zanzibar, Honourable Ali Juma Shamuhuna and the Minister of Tourism, Trade & Investment for Zanzibar, Honourable Sameer Suluhu Hassan.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (Fairmont) have been appointed to manage the resort. The property has been branded Fairmont Zanzibar and travellers will now enjoy a unique and enriching experience in the newly renovated resort.

Talal Jassim Al-Bahar, Chairman and Managing Director of IFA HR, stated: “We already have a successful relationship with Fairmont across many of our African developments, so the decision to appoint them as the operator of our Zanzibar property was a natural one. Guests may now enjoy a full African experience, from the continent’s famed snorkelling and diving to its safaris and beaches, within our East Africa collection: Fairmont Mara Safari Club, Fairmont The Norfolk and Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, and now Fairmont Zanzibar.”

IFA HR is currently developing a number of properties that Fairmont will also manage, including several on the iconic Palm Jumeirah island in Dubai as well as Fairmont Zimbali on the north coast of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.

John Williams, Fairmont’s Executive Vice President, Europe, Africa & the Middle East said: “It is a pleasure to continue strengthening our relationship with IFA Hotels & Resorts and Kingdom Hotel Investments in Africa given the success we’ve experienced in the past with this joint venture partnership. We look forward to delivering finest luxury experiences in Zanzibar that people have come to expect from Fairmont Hotels & Resorts around the world.”

The choice for IFA HR and KHI to invest in the original Zanzibar Beach Hotel & Resort was a natural one given the region’s unspoilt beauty and its increasing popularity as a tourist destination. The number of visitors to the archipelago has been rising annually at a rate of over 25% a year since 2003.

KHI’s CEO, Sarmad Zok, said “We have a strong presence in Africa and KHI is keen to continue to participate in the region’s growth, especially through projects like this one. We believe in the strength of the Fairmont brand and see it as an asset, particularly in a region poised to be one of the most exceptional emerging market destinations in the world.”

Al-Bahar concluded “We are keen to add this resort to our luxury portfolio of integrated mixed-use developments by expanding the property’s offering in the future to include a variety of other asset classes, such as a private residence and vacation clubs.”