HMH Celebrates the Grand Opening of EWA Khartoum Hotel & Apartments

HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings announced today the official opening of EWA Khartoum Hotel & Apartments. The grand inauguration was attended by His Excellency Mohamed Adbul Karim Al-Had, Federal Minister of Tourism, SSIA Chairman and General Commissioner and Mr Laurent A. Voivenel, CEO of HMH.

Brilliantly situated at the bank of the Blue Nile, EWA Khartoum Hotel & Apartments features 70 rooms and apartments equipped with first rate amenities.The hotel has been designed keeping in mind the needs and expectations of modern business and leisure travellers including families as well as short and long-stay guests. Overlooking the Blue Nile, all apartments offer sweeping views of the Nile. On site are excellent corporate and recreation facilities includingan international all-day-dining restaurant, a coffee shop, choice of multi-purpose meeting rooms with natural daylight, business center, fully-equipped gym and two saunas.

The openingis part of HMH's strategic expansion in Sudan and reinforces the group's strong presence in the country being its fourth hotel there. Speaking on the occasion, Laurent said, "It gives us great pleasure to unveil EWA Khartoum Hotel & Apartments. The launch of the hotel isin keeping with our commitment tosupport the development and growth of hospitality and tourism sector in Sudan.EWA Khartoum is the only hotel boasting serviced apartments in Khartoum and we are confident it willquickly establish itself as a preferred address for both domestic and international travellers. There is a strong demand in the country for quality accommodation and being a Halal-friendly, alcohol-free chain of hotels, our brands are a perfect fit with Sudan's Sharia-compliant traditions and culture".

Sudan, with its diverse ecology, rich heritage, unexplored archeological sites, generous hospitalityand strategic geographical location in North East Africaserves as a bridge between the Arab and African regions. It is a country that boasts more pyramids than Egypt. Laurent stressed, "The history of civilisations here goes back millennia. Therefore, Sudan has enormous potential to grow tourism and position itself globally as a unique destination.The world’s first known civilization Karma is located in Sudan as also the Meroe Civilization. In terms of wildlife, Sudan is rated among the world’s top ten countries. Khartoum State in particular offers rare natural sight being situated on the confluence of White and Blue Niles.But sadly, much of the country’s natural and architectural treasures have remained hidden from the world’s tourism industry."

HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings is among the few reputable hospitality groups present in the country and has been playing an instrumental role in the development of the industry. The group has deepened its presence in North Sudan since it took over the management of Coral Khartoum Hotel in 2009. The chain has since rapidly expanded its footprint in the country with the addition ofCoral Port Sudan Hotel, Coral Niyala Hotel and now EWA Khartoum Hotel & Apartments.

The government of Sudan has pledged $1 billion a year to boost the country’s tourism industry.Air transportation in Sudan has grown tremendously over the recent years. Flights to and from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are increasing largely due to the expansion of low-cost carriers in the region. Benefiting from the growing number of flight connections, inbound and outbound tourism to and from the Middle East is growing too. According to a report issued by Ministry of Tourism and Wild Life 591,350 tourists visited Sudan in 2013 spending $735,501 million.