Insider Stories

A Jordanian national with over a decade of experience in financial management, strategic planning, and stakeholder relations, Yousef brings exceptional expertise and insight to the team.

Christine Khachatryan takes on the position of cluster director of sales and marketing. With a broad experience spanning 24 years, including pre-opening roles for seven hotels in Dubai, Khachatryan is tasked with enhancing the market positioning of both Avani+ Palm View Dubai and La Suite Dubai.

Atlantis Resorts will name Paul Baker as its new president. Baker was previously president of the Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau, a $5 billion resort with close to 1,900 rooms, 300 game tables and 1,150 slot machines. He has close to two decades experience in the industry and spent a year as executive vice president of Wynn Macau, and five years as vice president of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Baker as President, Atlantis. In his new role, Paul will be reporting to myself,” writes Zuber. “Paul brings a wealth of expertise and leadership to our organization. Throughout Paul’s career, working in key markets including Las Vegas, America, Malaysia, and Macau, China, Paul has consistently demonstrated visionary leadership and a deep understanding of the integrated resort industry.” The memo adds that Baker will “initially” work across Atlantis The Palm and Atlantis The Royal, while the brand’s resort in China – Atlantis Sanya – will be led by long-time Kernzer VP Martin Chung “until Baker has been fully orientated into the brand.” Baker replaces Tim Kelly who officially left Atlantis last month to head up City of Dreams in Macau. Kelly also came from a gaming background. Atlantis The Palm and Royal are two of the largest five-star hotels in Dubai.

Courtyard by Marriott Northern Ring Road Riyadh, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Nada Soliman as the new PR & Marketing Manager, effective immediately. Nada Soliman brings a dynamic and results-driven approach to her new role, backed by a distinguished career in luxury brands and hospitality. With proven expertise in brand elevation, client relationship management, and innovative campaign execution, Soliman is poised to enhance Courtyard by Marriott Northern Ring Road Riyadh's reputation as a leader in luxury hospitality. Soliman's impressive career includes her most recent role as PR & Marketing Manager at Ajman Saray, a Luxury Collection Resort, where she has excelled since 2023. Prior to that, she served as Marketing Executive at The Nile Ritz-Carlton in Cairo, Egypt, from 2022 to 2023. Her versatility was further demonstrated in 2022 when she took on the role of Marketing Manager – Task Force at Courtyard by Marriott in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Her journey in luxury hospitality began as a Marketing Coordinator at The Nile Ritz-Carlton in Cairo, Egypt, from 2021 to 2022. Soliman's academic achievements include a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from The American University in Cairo and a High School Diploma in Business from BBC International School in Cairo, Egypt. "We are delighted to welcome Nada Soliman to our team as the new PR & Marketing Manager", said Mahmoud Omar, General Manager of Courtyard by Marriott Northern Ring Road Riyadh. "Her extensive experience, innovative vision, and commitment to excellence align perfectly with our goals. We are confident that Nada will play a pivotal role in further elevating our brand and enhancing the guest experience." Courtyard by Marriott Northern Ring Road Riyadh looks forward to the exciting initiatives and developments that will arise under Soliman's leadership. Her appointment marks a significant step in the hotel's ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation in luxury hospitality.

Joining from Shangri-La Sydney, Kronberg is embarking on his third general manager position within the Shangri-La Group.

With an extensive background in hospitality, hotel sales and marketing, Itir brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to excellence to her new role.

Boasting an impressive 12-year tenure in the hospitality industry, Ahmed brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our esteemed properties.

As an accomplished and forward-thinking leader in luxury hospitality, Esra possesses a proven track record of success across a range of award-winning hotels, including brands like Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Luxury Collection, W, and JW Marriott. Her experience spans various countries, including Qatar, Turkey, UAE, Jordan, and Greece.Esra excels in building and nurturing exceptional teams that consistently deliver outstanding results. Her expertise lies in hotel openings, project management, driving operational excellence, crafting authentic luxury experiences, and forging strategic alliances to innovate and revitalize businesses. Additionally, she has a strong focus on revenue generation and cultivating a robust brand culture. Parin’s appointment signifies a new era for Park Hyatt Doha, as she becomes the first female General Manager of the property. Her appointment is a pivotal step forward for Hyatt’s  program, fostering empowerment and representation of female leaders in the hospitality industry. Her passions are travel, art, design, music and reading.

Prestigious hospitality group, Addmind, has announced the appointment of Marius Schuller as General Manager of Sucre Fire Dining and Alma Bar, the popular Argentinian hotspot in the heart of Dubai International Financial Centre.

Dusit International has appointed Mr. Rami Massoud as Vice President of Development for the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. Rami Massoud will be based in Dusit’s regional office in Dubai. Fluent in Arabic, English, and French, he is an Egyptian national with over 25 years of experience in hotel development, real estate investment, and asset management. During his career, Massoud has worked for hotel brands such as Marriott, Starwood, and Four Seasons and spearheaded projects for top developers including Dubai Holding, Power Holding, and Shuaa Capital across the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Most recently, he served as the Managing Director of Hotel Assets Acquisition Consultants. He holds a bachelor’s degree in hotel management and advanced certification in hotel real estate investment & asset management from Cornell University. Massoud said, “Joining Dusit International is a remarkable opportunity to contribute to a brand with a rich heritage and an incredibly bright future. I am excited to help drive Dusit’s expansion in the EMEA region by identifying new growth opportunities and fostering relationships that will enable us to bring our distinctive Thai-inspired gracious hospitality to more guests around the world.” Massoud is now responsible for the growth of Dusit’s unique portfolio of Dusit Hotels and Resorts across key existing and emerging destinations in the EMEA region.

The Westin Doha's GM Ilkin Imanov has been appointed as chair of Marriott Business Council Qatar. His background covers various aspects of hotel management, including operations, sales & marketing, revenue management, new hotel openings, and owner relations. He holds an MBA in hospitality management from Euclea Business School/Imperial State University in France and Azerbaijan State Languages University. His contributions to the industry have garnered him several awards, including the Highly Successful GM of Qatar at the GM International Award 2023 and the Excellence in Delivering Guest Experience from Marriott Hotels & Resorts in 2015. The Marriott Business Council comprises general managers and associates from across all brands and business functions in specific markets or regions globally. These councils address common challenges collectively for a stronger impact—whether supporting the community throughout the year or after a disaster, hosting events, lobbying on issues affecting the hotel business, saving costs, generating revenue, or engaging associates in important causes. The Business Council is known to uphold Marriott's culture, strengthen communities, advocate for Marriott's business interests, and lead cross-brand, market-driven initiatives. These groups hold quarterly meetings and engage in various events and activities throughout the year. Prior to his tenure at The Westin Doha, Imanov was the general manager at Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg. He also worked at JW Marriott, Marriott, and Renaissance of Marriott brands in different countries. Previously he served as Marriott's rooms' operations advisory board member for Eastern Europe.

Qatar Tourism announced the appointment of Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi as CEO of Visit Qatar as part of the establishment of the entity, which is considered the marketing and promotional arm of the tourism sector in Qatar.Engineer Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi was the Chief of Marketing and Promotion Officer at Qatar Tourism, where he supervised the launch of several successful promotional campaigns during his tenure, in addition to the launch of a number of events and festivals that contributed to achieving an increase in the number of visitors that reached 1.62 million visitors. during the first quarter of 2024.Appointing a CEO for Visit Qatar is considered the first step in establishing the entity, laying its governance framework, developing marketing and promotion strategies for the next stages, and attracting distinguished tourism competencies and cadres, in a way that suits the entity’s  needs and the strategic objectives of the tourism sector in Qatar