Desert hotel brings promise of jobs

Located on the edge of the vast Empty Quarter, the resort hopes to lure guests with its ties to the area's culture and heritage.

The Qasr al Sarab Desert Resort, located in the Liwa desert, is to open today.

LIWA // Amid the remote, red-tinged sands of Al Gharbia, a fort-like hotel will open today, bringing with it the promise of more jobs for the region. Less than three years after work began on the edge of the Rub al Khali, or Empty Quarter, the Qasr al Sarab Desert Resort will open to the public with 154 rooms and 52 villas.

It is hoped that Emiratis will soon join the staff of 400 workers welcoming visitors to the resort, which is surrounded by dunes up to 60 metres high. It is an area where until now, employment has been scarce. Many residents are forced to seek jobs elsewhere in the country; in some areas, one in five leave for work. "We are preparing for them to join us very soon," said Sheikha Mahra al Qassimi, the senior communications manager at the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), which developed the resort.

"Tourism is new in this area, so we are training people to go into this sector." Qasr al Sarab, or mirage palace, is part of a strategy to bring visitors, jobs and business opportunities to the vast Al Gharbia region, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of the area of Abu Dhabi emirate but only eight per cent of the population. According to Marcelo Tholozan, the senior design manager, the hotel was built to reflect the local culture, heritage and architecture. A replica falaj (irrigation) system trickles through the property, and along a corridor old Martini-Henry rifles are hung on the walls. Shelves hold Bedouin jewellery and vintage burqas.

The works of the explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger, who journeyed across the Rub al Khali in the 1940s, line the bookshelves in the library, where old camel bags are piled on top of a cabinet. A man-made watering hole lies at the edge of the resort, where Arabian oryx, gazelles and other animals will come to drink. Soon, a 9,000-square kilometre wildlife reserve will open nearby, managed by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi.

Other recent projects in the region include the Desert Islands Resort and Spa on Sir Bani Yas island, and the Desert Islands Education Centre on Delma Island, which teaches tourism-related courses. Several Emiratis who graduated from the Education Centre are already working on Sir Bani Yas island, and it is hoped others will soon find work at Qasr al Sarab. TDIC is also in talks with a branch of Zayed University in the Liwa area to host hospitality training.

Leonard Favre, the director of public relations for the Western Region Development Council, said in addition to providing jobs, the new hotel is key to development in Al Gharbia. "It will allow people to visit the region and engage in other activities," he said. "The whole effect will be more people in the region." The local community has been providing some of the produce served in the hotel's restaurants, including, of course, the dates for which Liwa is known.

The traditional barasti weaving that provides shade was made by an Emirati artisan, and the camels that will take guests on rides across the dunes are on loan from a local farm. Didier Tourneboeuf, the area general manager for Anantara, which operates the hotel, said he plans to invite local people to give talks about the heritage and history of the area. "Everyone knows about Liwa, but not necessarily in detail, which is why we have built this hotel in a very authentic way," he said.

He said a women's association in Liwa would produce crafts to be sold at the hotel. Over the next few months, the staff is planned to increase to 500. "There are definite opportunities for people from the community who wish to work in the hotel industry," said Mr Tourneboeuf. Mohammed al Mazroui, who runs the Liwa Centre for Dates Processing and Trading, said he hoped people from his town would find work in the hotel. "This is a good thing for Liwa and Abu Dhabi," he said. "It is something different and new, and we think it will bring more people and tourists to Liwa."

A heritage village will be added with the second phase of the hotel, which is likely to be finished next year, said George Chakar, TDIC's communications manager. "We want to support the local economy and especially those projects that have a direct link to the traditions and culture," he said. "Ultimately, we want to bring out the region's natural wonders and untold stories." [e-mail]