Category: Digital Marketing

Salman Gul > Insights > Digital Marketing

First-Party Data Strategy for Hospitality Brands in the Middle East (2026)

Posted on by Salman Gul
81% of hotels report a revenue lift after implementing a first-party data strategy, and 78% of leisure travellers now expect a property to remember their preferences from a previous stay. Yet most Middle East hotels still let that data scatter...Read More

MICE Marketing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi: Rebuilding the Pipeline (2026)

Posted on by Salman Gul
The UAE's MICE market is valued at roughly US$6.69 billion in 2026 and is forecast to nearly double to US$12.14 billion by 2033, a compound growth rate of 8.9%. Dubai ranked first in the Middle East and Africa in Cvent's...Read More

Booking Engine Conversion Rate Optimisation for Middle East Hotels (2026)

Posted on by Salman Gul
A 2026 study of 65 hotel booking journeys across India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia found that 72% of hotel websites fail the three-second load benchmark, average mobile load times hit 4.1 seconds, and 44% of hotels hide taxes...Read More

Google Hotel Ads and Metasearch: The GCC Setup Guide (2026)

Posted on by Salman Gul
When a traveller types your hotel's name into Google, a booking module appears with dates, prices and a list of places to book: Booking.com, Expedia, and, if you have set it up correctly, your own website at your own rate....Read More
Digital marketing for hotels in the GCC, hub page cover graphic

Digital Marketing for Hotels in the GCC: The Complete Guide

Posted on by Salman Gul
GCC hospitality marketing Digital marketing for hotels in the GCC The playbook for demand, distribution and revenue across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, built from real 2026 market data and a decade running acquisition in the...Read More
Chart comparing what a hotel keeps from an OTA booking versus a direct booking on a 1000 dirham reservation

How to Reduce OTA Commission: The 2026 Direct Booking Playbook for GCC Hotels

Posted on by Salman Gul
Here is the number that should end the debate in your next commercial meeting: roughly 63% of hotel properties across the Gulf are currently displaying a higher rate on their own website than a traveller can find on an OTA....Read More
Chart showing Dubai hotel occupancy falling from 84.7 percent in February 2026 to 33 percent in March 2026

How to Increase Hotel Occupancy in Dubai: The 2026 GCC Demand Recovery Playbook

Posted on by Salman Gul
In February 2026, Dubai's hotels were running at 84.7% occupancy. Four weeks later, that number was roughly 33%. That is not a seasonal dip. That is a market-wide demand event, and if you run marketing for a hotel, resort or...Read More
مدير التسويق الرقمي والتجارة الإلكترونية

سلمان غل: خبرة عشر سنوات في التسويق الرقمي والتجارة الإلكترونية تصنع فارقاً حقيقياً للشركات السعودية

Posted on by Salman Gul
سلمان غل: خبرة عشر سنوات في التسويق الرقمي والتجارة الإلكترونية تصنع فارقاً حقيقياً للشركات السعودية مقدمة: كفاءة إقليمية جاهزة لسوق يتوسع بسرعة مع الطفرة غير المسبوقة التي تشهدها المملكة العربية السعودية في قطاعي التجارة الإلكترونية والتسويق الرقمي، أصبح البحث عن...Read More
رؤية السعودية 2030: القصة الكاملة للطموح

رؤية السعودية 2030: القصة الكاملة للطموح، القيادة، الإنجازات، والتحديات المتبقية

Posted on by Salman Gul
رؤية السعودية 2030: القصة الكاملة للطموح، القيادة، الإنجازات، والتحديات المتبقية مقدمة: من إعلان طموح إلى برنامج تحوّل وطني شامل في 25 أبريل 2016، أعلنت المملكة العربية السعودية عن رؤية السعودية 2030، خطة إصلاح استراتيجية طويلة المدى تهدف إلى تنويع الاقتصاد...Read More