Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts will manage a new five-star resort hotel being built in Fujairah.

Set to open in the summer of 2001, the 200-room hotel, owned by Emirates airlines and the Fujairah Government, will be named Le Meridien Fujairah Beach Resort and is set to form an integral part of the northern emirate's tourism programme.

Work on the Dh155 million ($41.9 million) project was scheduled to begin in December 1999 and take around 18 months to complete. The distinctive 20-storey property will be located on the Fujairah coast.

Designed by Archon Consultants, the resort will consist of 200 deluxe rooms, the majority of which will have spectacular sea views. A number of suites are also planned.

Le Meridien Fujairah will comprise four fine-dining options. However, it will also be able to cater for business needs, with an executive floor and extensive conference facilities. Two huge swimming pools, one of which will feature a spectacular waterfall will form the centerpiece of the extensively landscaped gardens.

A designated children's play area and a wide range of water sports and other leisure facilities, including a state-of-the-art health and fitness centre, will be available. ''The development of this property under the management of Le Meridien will further broaden the UAE's already extensive hotel offering to tourists,'' commented Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Emirates Group and president of the Department of Civil Aviation.