Hilton Worldwide vice president of operation, KSA, Mahmoud Mokhtar unveils his vision for the year ahead for Saudi Arabia’s hospitality industry
What is your hero hotel opening in 2015 and why?
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where we currently have 23 hotels under development, Hilton Worldwide is set to expand its portfolio at an unprecedented rate across KSA in the coming years and next year we expect to welcome four additional hotels to our eight hotels already trading (numbers as of 30 September 2014).
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Our development focus in KSA sees us explore opportunities to expand our portfolio of brands in locations across the country; and we see particular opportunity to grow our portfolio in Riyadh, especially in the mid-scale and upscale segments – as well as in regional cities, where we see potential for our mid-scale Hilton Garden Inn brand.
In 2015, we expect to welcome a Hilton Garden Inn for Tabuk in the north western part of KSA; as well as two properties joining the portfolio in Riyadh where we currently operate Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Olaya. The opening of Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residence and DoubleTree by Hilton Riyadh Al Muroj Business Gate will expand our portfolio to meet significant demand in the Capital for upscale and upper upscale accommodation.
Given our portfolio will expand significantly in Riyadh next year, with two remarkable projects in the Saudi capital – I would mark out all four of our KSA openings as ‘hero’ additions for Hilton Worldwide in KSA.
Overview of hotel openings in 2015:
• Hilton Garden Inn Tabuk
• DoubleTree by Hilton Riyadh Al Muroj Business Gate
• Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residence
• Conrad Makkah
How will the recruitment landscape evolve in the Middle East hotel industry in 2015?
Clearly it is crucial for the hospitality industry to profile itself as a sector of choice for careers and employment in the years ahead. Hilton Worldwide has more than 51 hotels under development across the Middle East (including Egypt) and ensuring that we are well resourced with talent to support our growth is a key priority for the company in this part of the world.
Our 2014 Careers @ Hilton Live: Youth in Hospitality Month became our largest ever careers event to date, aiming to showcase the world of opportunity available to young people. Activity across the globe, including the Middle East, saw Hilton Worldwide engage with young people with events such as CV writing workshops to informative careers talks by chefs and GMs.
I believe it is incredibly important that we continue to showcase our industry and the vast array of opportunities that it can offer – but also present the learning and development initiatives that will help people gain the skills needed to begin a career in hospitality.
In KSA specifically, Hilton Worldwide has launched the Al Mudeer programme – aimed at Saudi nationals, offering the chance to gain fast track training in hospitality. In its first year the programme has established four Al Mudeer graduates – each of which has advanced through a training programme and will be employed within Hilton Worldwide in management positions.
Interview continues on next page...
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