An Edinburgh businessman has launched the Middle East’s first ever portable luxury glamping pod in an exciting new chapter in their Gampitect business.
Calum MacLeod, from Corstorphine, who had spoken previously with Edinburgh Live about starting a new arm of their Glampitect design and consultancy business by chance after going on holiday to Dubai.
He expanded to Dubai from the UK in March 2021 and the company has not looked back since.
Their latest project is a collaboration with engineering specialists Rescom and was unveiled at the Dubai Hotel Show last week.
But what took Calum aback was the visit of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, a member of Dubai’s ruling family and the CEO of the infamous Emirates Group.
On meeting royalty just three years after getting the business off the ground, Calum said: “It was an honour to meet His Highness and to spend time showing him around our pod was truly humbling.
“When we started building this unit we knew it was going to be a success but didn’t think one of the world’s wealthiest royal family members would be among the first through the door!”
Manufactured at Glampitect’s factory in the Emirate, the pods measure 6.7m x 3.3m as standard, and the air-conditioned units have powder-coated aluminium tiles on the outside as well as all the latest accessories such as flat-screen TVs and modern kitchens, to make it a real home away from home.
The units are said to be extremely versatile and can be transformed into anything from a home office to yoga studio or spa room.
They are built on a galvanised steel chassis, which allows them to be picked up and moved around to different locations, which is another attractive aspect of the product.
The two Dubai-based companies believe the collaboration will play a major role in accelerating the growth of glamping in the Middle East.
The pods will be ideal for anyone looking to start up a glamping business, with the return on investment meant to be one of the key drivers in attracting people to the market.
Calum added: “The transportable luxury pod is just the start for us. The big advantage is that it can be taken out into the desert, or hard-to-reach places, so there is a high degree of flexibility.
“It’s ideal for people looking to set up a glamping site or who have additional space in their house. It is much cheaper than setting up a hotel, and makes a quicker return on investment than a hotel, so will be a major asset for anyone wanting to move into the glamping business.
“We carried out consumer research on the Middle East market and want to help the area catch up with the glamping boom that is happening elsewhere, particularly in the UK.
“It’s just starting to take off here: compound annual growth rate for the glamping industry is 14.1% and we’re looking to help accelerate that growth.”
Calum, along with his business partner Alisdair Young, run two glamping sites in the north of Scotland at Brora and Achmelvich through their NC500 Pods business.
The pair also advise over 200 glamping sites across the UK and abroad on how to set up their very own glamping business venture through their ‘Glampitect’ arm.
It has been a long process for the business partners as Covid-19 has run riot across the tourism industry but they say that their business is in a good place and that their domestic sites continue to be popular.
The Edinburgh entrepreneur commented in the past on setting up a business in Dubai, he said: “My advice to anyone thinking about moving out here and running their business from Dubai, is just do it.
“Just work hard and work hard a little more, and when you are finding things difficult really just buckle down and get out the other end.
“It is also important to make sure that what you do is something that you love. So if you love football, work in football. There are a million ways to make money in every industry.
“It was the best decision I ever made moving out to Dubai with my partner Tallia. The standard of living is way higher.
“You go out somewhere and everyone is entrepreneurial with the same spirit whereas back home down the pub it can all feel a touch negative.
“At Glampitect and NC500 we are extremely excited about the future and the team we have built around us.
“Feel free to visit our website if you fancy a stay at one of our sites or to access advice on how to build your own glamping business.”
