Alabbar is anchoring the next phase of Armani Hotels & Resorts. Italian luxury house Giorgio Armani has formed a 20-year, globally exclusive joint venture with Symphony Global — the private investment company of Dubai developer Mohamed Alabbar, also the founder of Emaar — to develop future Armani Hotels & Resorts, according to a post on LinkedIn and announcement.

What we know: The JV will be headquartered in Milan and Dubai, and holds exclusive global rights to all future Armani Hotels & Resorts during the contract term, with the agreement including a 10-year extension option.

The pipeline will span two formats: Ultra-luxury Armani Hotels and a more lifestyle-driven Armani Hotel concept aimed at younger, experience-led travelers. Armani retains control over architecture, interiors, service design, and the guest experience across both.

Armani Hotels has expanded with rare restraint, operating just two properties — Dubai and Milan — over 15 years while peers chased footprint. A globally exclusive JV marks a shift from one-off landmarks to a coordinated pipeline, with Dubai now structurally central to that strategy.

Background

This isn’t Symphony’s first partnership with Armani…: The agreement formalizes a long-standing relationship with Alabbar, who partnered with Armani Group on the launch of its first hotel in Dubai.

…nor its first luxury JV: The firm previously partnered with Italian online fashion retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter to build a Middle East luxury e-commerce platform, consolidating regional online operations under a Dubai-based joint venture. This comes as Al Abbar pushes into further verticals like retail and hospitality, with a recent USD 145 mn investment in a resort in Italy.

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