Backed by the global momentum of Marriott International, Alex Kyriakidis is in charge of a robust Middle East & Africa hotel portfolio, which has more than tripled in the two and a half years he has been in office.
2014 ranking: 2
2013 ranking: 4
Having joined the Hotelier Middle East Power 50 list just two years back following his appointment in January 2012, Alex Kyriakidis has already amassed a fair amount of kudos having been part of the company’s groundbreaking acquisition of Protea Hospitality Group, completed on April 1 this year.
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The deal saw Marriott’s Middle East & Africa operating portfolio jump almost overnight from 46 to 162 hotels, with the addition of 116 new properties in Africa, and a further 58 in the pipeline. Now the largest international operator on the African continent, it’s the wish of Kyriakidis to be the biggest player in the Middle East region as well.
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Already, Marriott’s Middle East portfolio is far from humble, with 47 operating hotels and 24 in the pipeline. Kyriakidis has also been central to the launches of several icons in the region.
Last year he was hailed in our Power 50 list as a “lynchpin” in the launch of the first 804-room tower of JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai — the second tower of which is to open fully in September this year.
The hotel’s positive performance has since supported a revenue boost for Emirates Destination & Leisure Managment, an arm of owner Emirates Group, which saw a 40.2% surge in operating profit to AED5.1 billion (US $1.4 billion) for the financial year ending March, according to a report released in May.
In January, Kyriakidis oversaw the launch of another major project; the Al Jaddaf Marriott Hotel Dubai and Marriott Executive Apartments Al Jaddaf. The launch marked the first Middle East roll out of the new Marriott brand voice under its Travel Brilliantly campaign, targeted at Gen Y customers.
These two projects along with new brand entries — the first Residence Inn for Dubai and the first Courtyard by Marriott for Abu Dhabi, coming in 2015 — are part of the company’s ultimate UAE target of achieving 10,000 rooms by 2020. With 11 operating properties already in the country, Kyriakidis claims: “We’ve never been stronger”.
Marriott is also bulking up its presence in Saudi Arabia, with the Courtyard Jazan and long-stay brand Residence Inn Jazan having recently opened. Making its debut in the Holy City, Makkah Marriott will open in January 2015, adding 540 rooms to the world’s religious tourism hub. This will be followed by JW Marriott Hotel Makkah in 2016 and Courtyard by Marriott in 2017. Four additional properties are scheduled for Riyadh, Jeddah and Damman in the coming years.
Globally, Marriott has announced plans to open another 200 luxury and lifestyle hotels, including 15 more Ritz-Carltons — with some planned for Egypt and Jeddah — and seven Edition hotels, including one in Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, in alignment with Kyriakidis’ solid growth plans in the lead up to 2020, he has expanded the regional office, and garnered diverse owner and investor relationships throughout the Middle East.
By The Numbers:
Number of years in role: 2.5 Number of years in company: 2.5 Number of Middle East operating hotels: 47 Number of Middle East pipeline hotels: 24.
Fun Fact: Alex Kyriakidis founded and was captain of the University of Leeds’ Shotokan Karate Club during his time studying a B. Sc. Hons. Computer Science and Maths in the early seventies.
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