Madinat Jumeirah grabs Oberoi Dubai's exec chef

Madinat Jumeirah has appointed Dirk Haltenhof as resort executive chef, who brings more than 15 years of hospitality experience from working across in Europe, Asia and the UAE.

Haltenhof will be responsible for the resort’s F&B and will supervise a team of over 200 chefs and 120 stewards.

Haltenhof has worked at several Michelin-starred restaurants in Austria, Switzerland and his native Germany. He also worked in the Far East, at regional hotels such as the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur and Mandarin Oriental, Macau.

Haltenhof will not only work on the offerings at Jumeirah Al Qasr and Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, but also Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf, the Malakiya villas, and the collection of new food and beverage outlets set to open in Jumeirah Al Naseem.

“Madinat Jumeirah has always been for me the greatest place to show family and friends who visit Dubai. I was a fan of the resort, even before I thought I would have the opportunity to work here.

"This made the day even more exciting when I was handed the Madinat Jumeirah Chef’s jacket for the first time,” said Haltenhof.

“Together with my team, we want Madinat Jumeirah’s culinary scene to be among the best in Dubai. The main focus will be in sourcing authentic, seasonal and health conscious ingredients giving them a personal touch creating memorable stories for our culinary team to share with our guests.”

Haltenhof holds a degree in Engineering and a Hotel Management Apprenticeship.