Recruiting Bahraini nationals for the hospitality industry can prove problematic, said the general manager of the new Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa.
In an exclusive interview with Hotelier Middle East magazine, general manager Guy Poujoulat revealed that the new hotel’s pre-opening period had been challenging, as the property struggled to fill the 20% nationals quota set out by the Bahraini government.
“It is challenging in general because, while Bahrainis are very hospitable people, there is yet a lot more to be done to develop the hospitality industry, in terms of schools, training and so on, so it is not selling very well if I can put it that way,” he explained.
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“A lot of Bahrainis are more inclined to work five days a week, in banks, in private sectors — or other types of private sectors than the service industry. So from this perspective, it is still a challenge to recruit locally,” he added.
It is an issue that is being tackled across the Middle East, with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman among others all issuing targets for nationals in the workpplace.
The destination hotel is due to soft open by the end of February. For the full interview see Hotelier Middle East in March.
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