QE2 to release more rooms in line with market demand

The Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) ocean liner, which has been transformed into a luxury hotel in Dubai, will release more rooms in line with the demand in the market, a senior official said.
"QE2 was famous for entertainment where many celebrities visited the vessels and dined here. In the next phase of QE 2 development, we are coming up with a space for local artists and promote this field. QE2 has 1,000 rooms but we've opened only 240 rooms because this is not the right time to open all 1,000 rooms. Rather than launching everything at the same time, we are controlling supply and launching it in stages," said Hamza Mustafa, CEO of PCFC Investments, the operator of the vessel.
He said Port Rashid area, where QE2 is docked, will undergo a major redevelopment plan. The luxurious hotel ship will also be at the center of Dh25 billion mega residential and commercial project to come up at Port Rashid, where the ship is docked.
"QE2 is going to be at the centre of this new masterplan development. We cannot take it to The Palm or JBR because it also complements the cruise ships docking at the port," Hamza said at the opening of Kiklabb, a licensing and workspace business, at QE2.
Spread over an area of 25,000 square feet, with imminent plans of expansion, Kiklabb offers private offices, co-working spaces and flexi desks.
"The way we work is evolving and so are the needs of the market. With the ability to issue trade licenses and offer intelligent workspaces, Kiklabb is designed to transform the working experience. The first step of setting up a business is getting a trade license and as a government-owned entity, at Kiklabb we issue both Dubai Free Zone and on-shore DED licenses," said Tasawar Ulhaq, CEO of Kiklabb. With the flexible working trend gaining momentum, demand for flexible workspaces is on the rise in Dubai.
According to Colliers' data, Dubai currently has over 650,000 square feet of flexible and co-working space spread over 53 locations. The supply of co-working centres in the city, from both new market entrants and existing operators, will continue to increase with minimum 320,000 to 530,000 square feet of space expected to be dedicated toward this sector by the end of 2020.
- waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com