According to Elie Younes, Hilton Hotels VP Development Middle East, the company will focus its development strategy on Saudi Arabia, where it plans to roll out the first Garden Inn branded properties to enter the Middle East. “Saudi Arabia is definitely a sufficient market - it is more recession-proof than others.” Abu Dhabi is the second target country for 2009. Younes said there was still a “big gap” in terms of where Abu Dhabi was today and where it wanted to be, meaning there were opportunities for Hilton to fill this void with hotel product. “Developing a hotel today is 25% cheaper than yesterday and by the time it is constructed it is three years from today when all this recession will be done,” Younes concluded.