Jumeirah Group president & CEO Gerald Lawless looks back on the opening of the hotel that put the company and Dubai on the global stage and continues to do so
How important has Burj Al Arab been to the development of Jumeirah Group?
It has been a real cornerstone of the development of Jumeirah and the awareness of the Jumeirah brand over the last 15 years. We are very pleased that Burj Al Arab continues to win awards internationally as the most luxurious hotel in the world.
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It is important for Jumeirah to be able to portray itself as being the owner and operator of the Burj Al Arab as this helps greatly in promoting the brand to customers around the world, not only from the point of view of enticing them to stay in Jumeirah hotels, but also in demonstrating to potential investors and owners in different countries that we have the necessary credentials.
Did the opening of Burj Al Arab make an impact on a global scale?
Definitely, and there is a very high awareness of the Burj Al Arab worldwide. We are particularly pleased that Burj Al Arab has become very much the symbol of Dubai and we like to think of it as the Eiffel Tower of Dubai, or the Sydney Opera House of Dubai. That is very beneficial for us as a brand.
In the early years of Jumeirah Group, how important was it that the execution of the hotel was done perfectly?
It is always important to open any hotel as perfectly as you can, and certainly we were extremely honoured that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had the inspiration and the vision to develop the whole resort, including the Burj Al Arab, Wild Wadi Waterpark, and starting off with the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. All of these buildings were very much ground-breaking at the time. In my opinion, Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach hotel really did help to establish tourism in Dubai and fit the ambitions His Highness had for the evolution and development of Dubai as a tourism destination.
Interview continues on next page...
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