H2O expands to the Middle East in earnest based on the achievements of the UAE economic mission

      2023.01.17

Established MEA branch in Abu Dhabi, UAE next month 

H2O provides a starting point for Korean companies to expand the Middle East tourism market.

H2O Hospitality, a digital transformation company in the hospitality and leisure industries, announced its plan to establish a Middle East branch and announced its full-fledged entry into the Middle East. At the Korea-UAE Business Forum held in Abu Dhabi, UAE on the 16th.  H2O CEO John (WoongHee) Lee said, "Middle Eastern countries that have declared a de-oil industry are accelerating the development of the tourism industry as one of the next growth engines. We plan to open a branch in Abu Dhabi as early as next month." 

In December last year, H2O was selected as the first Korean tourism-related company to be eligible for pre-unicorn support from Hub71, run by Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund. The UAE government highly praised H2O solutions that digitized the entire process of hospitality facilities from A to Z, including reservations to smart mobile check-in/out, operation, management, and many more.

Countries in the Middle East are paying attention to tourism as one of their future flagship businesses after the oil industry. Starting with the UAE building a futuristic city in Dubai, which attracted worldwide attention, the 2020 Dubai Expo, the 2021 Qatar World Cup, and the Neom City project, which Saudi Arabia is focusing on, show this trend well. The establishment of H2O's MEA branch is expected to be the starting point for Korean companies to enter the expanding Middle East tourism market. The H2O MEA branch plans to support global hotels, hospitality and leisure companies in the Middle East to provide the digital transformation that allows guests to experience a higher level of service. H2O was selected as the first tourism and travel company for the UAE economy mission, considering its performance in Japan and Southeast Asia and other global markets.

The Korea International Trade Association said it has selected a delegation based on expected results such as business prospects and the possibility of business among companies requesting participation. CEO John (WoongHee) Lee attended a state luncheon with President Yoon and UAE President Mohammed out of 100 companies that participated in the tour on the 15th, and was selected as a representative presenter for the startup at a dinner.