CDA seeks 4,000 top-class hotel rooms in Islamabad ahead of 2027 SCO summit

Islamabad's city managers are feverishly working to guarantee the presence of 4,000 premium hotel rooms for next year's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) planning to convene a meeting of hotel owners the following week. Surveyors are currently examining the inventory of luxury hotel rooms required for SCO delegates, while CDA officials acknowledge that over 4,000 rooms are currently available, but around 1,000 lack international standards.

Despite the daunting challenge, CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf remains confident that Islamabad will meet the target. The CDA will strive to ensure the necessary number of rooms are available in the capital city. The authority has decided to convene a conference of top-class hotel owners and investors, aiming to encourage new room construction, complete ongoing construction projects early, and explore additional hotel options in Islamabad.

It is worth noting that Islamabad already boasts several major hotels, including Serena, Marriott, and Mövenpick. Additionally, new initiatives such as the Ghandhra Club and other government buildings are set to bolster the city's hotel infrastructure. The New Islamabad Convention, Exhibition, and Expo Centre (NICEEC) is also in the pipeline, set to become the primary venue for the SCO summit.

The Jinnah Convention Centre and Pak-China Friendship Centre will also be available for some events. The CDA recently opened financial bids for NICEEC, with a China Construction Third Engineering Bureau-led joint venture emerging as the lowest bidder at Rs37 billion.