Middle East emerges as global luxury hospitality leader with 28 five-star hotel ratings – Forbes

MIDDLE EAST- The Middle East has secured a record 28 Five-Star hotel ratings in the 2026 Star Awards by Forbes Travel Guide positioning the Gulf as the world’s most dynamic and fastest-rising luxury destination. 

For decades, cities like Paris and New York set the benchmark for refined travel. Today, Dubai, Doha, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are not just matching that standard; they are redefining it.  

The United Arab Emirates alone captured 19 Five-Star honors, underscoring the region’s relentless investment in architecture, service innovation and experiential travel. 

First, the iconic duo of Atlantis The Royal and Atlantis The Palm, which together propelled their destination into the world’s second highest-ranked integrated resort. 

Atlantis The Royal also achieved the region’s first-ever “Triple-Five” distinction, earning simultaneous Five-Star recognition for its hotel, spa and its celebrated restaurant, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.  

Adding to its culinary prestige, FZN by Björn Frantzén became Dubai’s only new Five-Star restaurant this year cementing the city’s reputation as a global dining capital. 

Across the Gulf, the luxury map continues to expand. Dubai welcomed new Five-Star entrants such as Bvlgari Resort Dubai and reaffirmed icons like Burj Al Arab.  

In Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental maintained its elite standing, while the Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island elevated the capital’s wellness credentials with its Five-Star spa recognition. 

Saudi Arabia also did not disappoint, as Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve became the first Five-Star property within the Kingdom’s transformative Red Sea development. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Rosewood Doha, Raffles Doha and Mandarin Oriental, Doha received Five-Star accolades. 

Beyond the glitz and glamour, the awards reflect a deeper shift toward personalized wellness and emotionally intelligent service by hotels moving luxury beyond aesthetics into meaning. 

For travelers, the message is clear: the Middle East now offers the most consistent, verified luxury experiences on earth. For investors and industry leaders, the signal to come invest is even stronger.  

The Gulf is no longer an emerging luxury market. It is the gold standard, setting the pace, shaping the future, and redefining where the world’s most extraordinary hospitality stories are written. 

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