Bawadi, which will cover 10 km in the desert outskirts of Dubai, will comprise 31 hotels, including the world's largest, to be known as Asia Asia. This will total 6,500 rooms, along with 11 other hotels offering a further 16,750 rooms. The entire project will create an extra 29,200 rooms.

Tatweer will manage the project and provide 40% of the AED100 billion ($27.2 billion) investment capital. The government hopes to raise the rest from regional and international investors.

Tatweer chief executive Saeed al-Muntafiq, says Bawadi is designed to meet the surging demand for hotel space in the fast-growing Dubai, which last year attracted six million visitors. By 2016, Bawadi alone will attract 3.3 million guests, 21% of the total number coming to and passing through Dubai.