Emaar Properties in Zimbabwe: the builder of the Burj Khalifa wants luxury hotels in Harare and Victoria Falls

The developer that raised the Burj Khalifa above Dubai is now looking towards the Zambezi. Emaar Properties, founded and chaired by Mohamed Alabbar, is preparing a hotel development in Zimbabwe, with two targets already named: the capital Harare for business hotels and Victoria Falls for high-end leisure. A delegation of group executives is expected on-site at the end of September 2026 to inspect the locations, following a meeting between Mohamed Alabbar and President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Here is what is known about the project, and why it is arriving now.

A high-level meeting followed by a site visit

The deal was forged at the highest level. Mohamed Alabbar met with Emmerson Mnangagwa to lay the groundwork for establishing “world-class” hotels in Zimbabwe, following on from discussions initiated as early as 2024 with the support of Paul Tungwarara, the president’s special advisor for investment. The next step is concrete: a delegation of senior Emaar executives is due to travel to Zimbabwe in late September 2026 to inspect the shortlisted sites and outline the financial and operational framework of the project. The number of rooms, the brands chosen and the delivery schedule have not been disclosed; authorities are already mentioning thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

Emaar is no stranger to the hotel industry. The group operates the Address Hotels + Resorts and Vida Hotels and Resorts brands, as well as the Armani Hotel Dubai housed within the Burj Khalifa, and boasts a presence in over eighteen countries. Its subsidiary Emaar Development generated 22.4 billion dirhams in sales and 6.7 billion in net profit in the first half of 2026 alone, providing ample funding for an African expansion without breaking a sweat. Discover hotel news in the Emirates on La Revue des Hôtels.

Harare and Victoria Falls, two projects for two clienteles

The strategy has two distinct prongs. In Harare, the capital, Emaar is targeting business hotels and conference centres capable of hosting regional summits and investor delegations, a segment where local supply remains limited. In Victoria Falls, the objective is the opposite: to retain wealthy leisure clientele who currently often only make a one- or two-night stopover in front of the falls before heading on to Botswana or South Africa. Emaar’s bet is to extend the length of stay by bringing Gulf standards to a destination dominated by safari lodges.

The project also aims to leverage regional corridors to build multi-destination itineraries across the country, between Hwange National Park, Mana Pools, and the Matobo Hills. The 2024-2034 management plan for the Zambezi and Victoria Falls parks sets out a framework: modernising the tourism offering without damaging the landscapes. The government has stressed that any new project must comply with this, immediately raising the question of the footprint of large-scale complexes on the edge of a World Heritage site.

Why Zimbabwe is attracting attention now

Emaar’s interest comes on an upward curve. According to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, the country welcomed around one million international visitors in 2022, 1.6 million in 2024, and 1,777,569 in 2025, representing a 10% increase year-on-year. Accommodation and catering grew by 12.8% in 2025 according to the statistical office ZIMSTAT. It is these figures, rather than speeches, that are making Zimbabwe a destination now closely watched by Gulf hotel groups. In competition, South Africa and Botswana still capture the bulk of wealthy travellers thanks to denser infrastructure; the stated ambition is to capture these flows directly, without relying on transit hubs.

What this would change for travellers

Today, the high-end offering around Victoria Falls relies on historic addresses and bush lodges. The arrival of an operator like Emaar, accustomed to complexes integrating hotels, residences, restaurants, and conference spaces, would change the nature of the stay: longer, more urban in its services, and connected to Harare by a business offering. For French travellers, this would mean easier Dubai-Zimbabwe twin-centre trips to arrange, with Emirates already connecting Dubai to Harare. Nothing is signed yet, but the timeline is short: the late September visit will determine whether the project moves from talk to tender.

Our perspective

Emaar does not travel for a twenty-room lodge. Its model is the neighbourhood rather than the hotel, and that is what makes the announcement both promising and delicate for Victoria Falls. The project’s success will be judged on its ability to remain in scale with the site, whereas Dubai has built its reputation on excess. For Zimbabwe, the challenge is clear: to transform real tourism growth into international-standard hotel capacity, without compromising on the protection of one of the continent’s most spectacular landscapes. We will be following the September visit and the first official figures.

Practical information

• Emaar Properties · emaar.com
• Tourist board · Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, zimbabwetourism.net
• Access · Direct flights Dubai-Harare with Emirates; Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA)