An article titled “The Towels will be Needed Again: Why the Gulf Cannot Afford to Let its Laundry Industry Fade while Tourism Recovers” was written by Shyju Skariah, TRSA’s global affairs lead advisor, on behalf of the TRSA Middle East Chapter. The article can be used as an advocacy resource for members, hospitality customers and government stakeholders across Dubai, Qatar and Bahrain.
The article details the drop in hotel and healthcare laundry work due to the ongoing regional conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States that began in February 2026.
“Right now, we’re absorbing every shock at once – hospitality occupancy down 20 to 35%, utility and chemical costs up double digits, suppliers demanding cash upfront while hotels stretch payments to 90 days,” said Jorge Damasceno, CEO, Bubble Laundry, UAE. “There’s no room left to raise prices, and no support coming from anywhere as upstream-downstream value chains are also being squeezed. But this is a cash-flow crisis, not a demand crisis – the structural need for laundry capacity hasn’t gone anywhere. The towels will be needed again. The question is which operators are still standing when they are.”
In the article, Skariah details why the need for the services provided by linen, uniform and facility services operators will bounce back, and how hospitality operators, customers and government authorities can support linen, uniform and facility services operations in the meantime.
“We might see the first flicker of recovery in hotel occupancy this September, but it’s too little, too late for many of us,” said Narayanan Raghavan, founder & CEO, Dr. Linen, UAE. “Our laundries are operating at half capacity while costs have surged 45% on chemicals, consumables and transport – and not a single customer is willing to absorb any of that increase. Third-tier operators are already closing their doors. If nothing changes, this isn’t just a squeeze anymore – it’s the beginning of a full industry standstill, and the disruption to service will be impossible to avoid.”
Click here to view the full report. Additionally, TRSA seeks your feedback to collect data on operations in the Middle East and to plan a future virtual event. Click here to complete a brief survey.
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Receive the latest updates on the linen, uniform and facility services industry from TRSA delivered straight to your inbox.
