These five finalists will compete for the Green Hotelier of the Year 2012 title in the Hotelier Middle East Awards to be held on October 31 at The Ritz-Carlton DIFC.

Below you will find extracts and testimonials from the shortlisted nominations for each of the five candidates...

Gawdat Mohamed Ali Hassan, Jebel Ali Golf Resort

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About Gawdat
Gawdat Ali, originally from Egypt, joined the team at Jebel Ali Golf Resort more than eight years ago. He started as a waiter in the resort’s Italian restaurant, La Traviata, where he dazzled guests with his “Egytalian” vocabulary. From a young age, Gawdat has had a passion for both nature and food, fuelling his ambitions to move into the kitchens and become a chef. Cooking allows Gawdat to combine his love for food with creative passion and flair and is a real asset to the resort’s Executive Chef and Culinary Director. In 2006, Gawdat voluntarily offered to support the creation and development of the resort bio-garden, an initiative founded by the late general manger, Mr. Mark Bettsworth. The garden started out as a small plot of greenery, just 10 square metres and has now grown to over 300 square meters in size. The resort team can now grow their own herbs and other produce in an environmentally friendly way, enhancing the natural aspect of the dishes.

Above and beyond the call of duty…

Gawdat has implemented a dripping system to irrigate the area in order to minimise the usage of water, which is such a precious good in this part of the world. He also saves water through the use of a disinfectant for the vegetables within the preparation of dishes. This can be used without the need for running water thus large amounts of water is saved. This is one particular area where water waste is reduced and has aided the preservation of the environment. He has also proudly conducted planting days and informative tours of the garden for fellow associates, resort guests and day visitors. Gawdat keeps a memory log book where visitors leave their compliments and comments to express their surprise and excitement for finding such a great functioning green reality in Dubai. Chef Gawdat has had the patience to experiment with dozens of organic seeds in order to understand which fruits and vegetables would be able to survive the harsh weather and temperatures in the Arabian Desert. He has experienced several disappointments as well as many great successes. In ordering to efficiently plan for the seasons, Gawdat has developed a dedicated harvesting system which ensures fresh fruit, herbs and vegetables year round. Gawdat utilises his skills as a chef to take ownership and responsibility of the garden, a mission he has chosen to undertake along with all his other everyday tasks. He does not ask for any remuneration or special treatment, he simply shows up every single morning at 6am, ready to make the necessary alterations in order to ensure the bio garden is at its very best. It is down to Gawdat that the bio garden has become one of the most evident commitments that our resort has embraced towards the environment.

Testimonials for Gawdat
“Gawdat has a naturally contagious smile and he is no stranger to guests’ compliments. Our visitors continue to be impressed by his passion and enthusiasm for the bio garden as well as his good nature and drive to succeed. It is without doubt that he is one of the friendliest and most popular members of the team and his passion is clearly what sets him aside from others”. Michelle Wilson, corporate learning, development & business excellence manager, Jebel Ali International Hotels.

“Gawdat is a shining member of the F&B team and a person who will put the needs of others before himself. He is not an over muscular person, nor has he attended special courses, he simply takes on this task because he is passionate and believes in looking after the environment. He is not after fame or recognition; he just wants to get the best from what is on offer to us”. Massimo Venturelli, culinary director, Jebel Ali Golf Resort: