Fairmont Hotels and Resorts will open 20 hotels worldwide over the next three to four years, mainly in the Middle East and Asia, President and Chief Operating Officer Chris Cahill said in Shanghai, Wednesday.

The news reaffirms the group's statement to Emirates 24|7 earlier, where it announced plans to operate 14 new properties across three brands in the Middle East by 2014, with the possibility of increasing it by six new projects for the region.

Included in the new Mideast projects is the highly anticipated, and delayed, Fairmont Palm Jumeirah project that could finally open by Q4 2011.