Qatar's Katara Hospitality appoints new COO

Qatar-based hotel investor and operator Katara Hospitality has appointed Christopher R. J. Knable as its new chief operating officer.

Knable brings three decades of experience to the role, having previously served as VP asset managament for Kingdom Hotel Investments, behind the development and launch of several leaading hotels in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

A US national, Knable has worked in operations in the US and internationally for a number of well known brands including Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and The Peninsula Hotels.

In his new role, he will work with the CEO to achieve Katara Hospitality's goal to  own or manage more than thirty hotels and resort complexes by 2016 and a further 30 more over the following decade.

“I am delighted to join Katara Hospitality at this moment in time. We are focused on creating and rejuvenating iconic assets around the world in line with Qatar’s renowned tradition of hospitality and I look forward to working with our CEO and management team to build on the success to date as we continue with our programmed growth,” said Knable.

Chief executive officer Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla added: “Christopher joins Katara Hospitality in the midst of a rapid expansion. His blend of international leadership experience along with his proven ability to bridge the disciplines of investment, development, branding and operations is valuable as we pursue our vision going forward”.