Dubai - The Middle East tourism industry will require at least 1.5 million workers by the year 2020, the organizers of a Dubai-hosted hotel investment conference said Tuesday.

Jonathan Worsley, co-organizer of Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) said in a statement that "staffing levels are one the biggest challenges facing the global industry."

InterContinental Hotels' Tom Mayer said that with the massive growth in the hotel industry in Dubai it has been hard to recruit talented local employees.

Some 1,000 experts and decision makers plan to debate the shortage of trained staff in the AHIC, to take place in Dubai between May 3 and May 5. (dpa)