Marriott International will need to recruit more than 12,000 staff over the next five years to meet the needs of its growing collection of hotels in the Middle East and Africa.
Speaking at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) 2012 in Dubai, Alex Kyriakides, president and MD of Marriott International, Middle East and Africa, confirmed that the number of jobs at Marriott hotels in the region is expected to increase by 100% from 11,800 to over 24,000 by the end of 2017, highlighting the company’s ongoing investment in the region.
The company also said it will focus its recruitment on the UAE where it will hire 4400 new associates.
“Marriott International opened its first hotel in the Middle East and Africa 32 years ago and we have continued to invest in the region and build on its rich heritage to become one of the biggest hotel operators. Today we have 38 existing properties in 11 countries across seven lodging brands and a further 43 hotels under development which will more than double the number of hotels in the Middle East and Africa over the next five years. These figures are a measure of our commitment to the growth and development of the region’s tourism sector and its position as a leading global business hub,” said Kyriakides.
The announcement followed yesterday’s signing of the Residence Inn by Marriott in Kuwait City, the third Residence Inn by Marriott for extended stay travellers in the GCC.
This year’s hotel openings in the region showcase the company's broad portfolio of top brands, including the 1608-room JW Marriott Marquis Dubai in Q4.
Marriott International will also continue to grow its popular Marriott Executive Apartments and Courtyard by Marriott brands with imminent openings of both in Riyadh.
These hotels will be followed with the second Residence Inn by Marriott for extended stay travellers in the Middle East with an 83-unit hotel in the Saudi Arabian province of Jizan on the Red Sea in 2013. It will be part of a mixed-use development that will also include a new 129-room upper moderate priced Courtyard by Marriott hotel that, when opened, will be the fourth Courtyard property in the Middle East.
Kyriakides also highlighted Marriott International’s future innovation plans, with particular focus on its flagship brand – Marriott Hotels & Resorts.
“By 2013, almost 35% of the global workforce will be mobile. We are designing hotels for a new generation that is used to working, how, where and whenever they want. As a leader in hospitality, Marriott Hotels & Resorts understand that whether staying at a hotel individually or attending a meeting or conference, business travelers need spaces that offer them choice for quiet, individual work in comfortable and inviting public spaces or collaborative settings for group work with colleagues, and as such, we are committed to re-imagining hospitality for a new generation of global travellers,” said Kyriakides.
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“The recently redesigned lobby of the Riyadh Marriott Hotel is a fantastic example of this re-imagination and we look forward to seeing this work continue, particularly at our new Marriott Dubai Healthcare City hotel set to open in 2013.”
Today, seven of Marriott’s 18 brands are currently represented in the region: JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts and The Ritz-Carlton in the luxury tier; Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Renaissance Hotels in the upscale, quality tier; Courtyard by Marriott Hotels and Residence Inn by Marriott in the quality tier and the upscale Marriott Executive Apartments for extended stay travelers.
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