It’s a wrap! – THINC ME 2026

THINC ME 2026 closed in Dubai with a clear message: the Middle East is no longer importing global hospitality trends — it is shaping them. Across 1.5 days, the conversations were less about hype and more about underwriting. Less about “what’s new” and more about what’s actually working: policy-led tourism growth, institutional capital, destination-scale development, and operating models built for performance. Below are the defining themes that emerged across THINC ME 2026.

Key takeaways: 

• • A recurring thread was the strength of the Middle East’s top-down tourism strategy — particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia — and how rare that level of alignment is globally.
  • The UAE’s performance continues to validate this confidence: RevPAR is nearly 60% above 2019 levels despite meaningful new supply. With supply growth moderating, occupancy and rates have remained resilient.
  • Across MENA, the next phase of growth is being shaped by branded residences, wellness-led developments, and integrated destination projects — with the region also generating the highest spa revenues globally.

Key takeaways: 

• • Post-COVID, hospitality has firmly become a preferred asset class. Banks are more comfortable lending to the sector than in previous cycles, and portfolio-level investors have been increasingly active since 2021.
  • Capital allocation remains dynamic: India is rising strongly, Southeast Asia has slowed, and the Qatar–UAE corridor continues to be a key hub.
  • One line from the investment panel captured the mood perfectly: “boring is good.” Midscale hotels and serviced apartments are increasingly attractive because they deliver stable, predictable cash flows — a quality investors are prioritising in an uncertain global environment.

Key takeaways: 

• • No destination featured more prominently than Ras Al Khaimah — and in particular, Marjan Island.
  • RAK’s fundamentals are increasingly institutional-grade: strong credit ratings (A+ Fitch / A S&P), 6.7% GDP growth in 2024, a diversified economic base, and an investor-friendly framework including freehold ownership and 100% repatriation of capital and profits.
  • RAK is projected to attract 4.1–4.5 million visitors annually by 2030. Marjan Island alone is expected to add ~8,000 hotel rooms by 2030.
  • The defining catalyst remains Wynn Al Marjan Island (Spring 2027), positioned as the region’s first integrated resort. Following the Wynn announcement, residential activity reportedly surged ~200% — a signal of how quickly capital responds when a destination narrative becomes credible.

Key takeaways: 

• • Branded residences were one of the most dominant product conversations of THINC ME 2026.
  • Branded residences typically sell 20–30% faster than non-branded developments. Operators also help reduce customer acquisition costs through distribution reach and brand awareness. Importantly, what began as a luxury-only proposition is now expanding rapidly into premium and midmarket.
  • But the conference also highlighted a critical risk: commoditisation. The winners will protect service levels, maintain a thoughtful inventory mix, and future-proof buildings so they remain relevant at handover — not just at launch. Sustainability is also emerging as a new layer, with “green” branded living gaining traction.

Key takeaways: 

• • Lifestyle hospitality was framed not as an aesthetic, but as a commercial model built on community and district activation. The goal is to build a lifestyle destination — not merely a lifestyle hotel.
  • The example of 25hours Hotel One Central captured this: ~400 people in the lobby at any given hour (excluding in-house guests), and Dubai’s first licensed walkable street created behind the hotel — attracting 2,000–3,000 visitors on weekends.
  • Wellness, meanwhile, moved from “trend” to “infrastructure.” With wellness and healthcare now valued at ~USD 6.8 trillion globally, the sector is becoming a core business driver. In wellness resorts, spa and wellness operations can contribute 15%–40% of total revenue — but as the segment scales, the question of authenticity versus “wellness washing” is becoming unavoidable. Longevity, diagnostics and preventive wellness are emerging as the next wave.

Key takeaways: 

• • Midscale emerged as one of the most compelling investment narratives — built on value for money, consistency, and adaptability.
  • Midmarket hotels can be quicker to develop, faster to market, and often deliver faster returns. Yet rising construction costs and limited prime land availability remain constraints.
  • A recurring message was that operators must increasingly wear an owner’s hat — “prime location” alone is meaningless if the underwriting does not work.

Key takeaways: 

• • Some of the most practical sessions focused on the unglamorous but decisive parts of hospitality investing: contracts, operating models, and execution.
  • Performance tests and termination rights matter more than fee reductions. Liquidated damages must be a genuine pre-estimate of loss and should reduce over time as the hotel stabilises. Owners were urged to watch hidden costs — CapEx, payroll efficiency, and brand standards — and to build in exit optionality, including termination-on-sale clauses and the option to flip to a franchise model.
  • AI, meanwhile, was discussed with unusual realism. The bottleneck isn’t adoption — it’s digitisation. Without structured design data, AI cannot deliver meaningful outcomes. BIM models, integrated schedules, and drone-enabled site surveys were positioned as some of the most immediate ways to unlock efficiency and reduce risk.

Key takeaways: 

• • Hospitality is no longer purely supply-led; it is demand-engineered.
  • India is among the fastest-growing outbound markets globally. About 90% of Indian travellers begin their research online, and there are now 100+ daily direct flights from India to the Middle East.
  • In 2025, Indian travellers spent USD 38 billion overseas, nearly 17% higher than the previous year — reinforcing India’s role not as a “source market,” but as a growth pillar.

THINC ME 2026 reinforced a shift that is now hard to ignore. The Middle East is scaling more than hotels. It is scaling ecosystems: destinations, branded living, wellness infrastructure, lifestyle districts, and policy-led tourism growth. And while the ambition is large, the conversations remained rooted in what matters most: execution, accountability, and commercial discipline. The region is moving fast — and it is no longer following the global hospitality playbook. It is writing the next one.