15. Pablo Graf, Senior Vice President, Operations, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Southwest Asia
Graf was appointed to Hyatt’S Dubai office in 2012 to oversee the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Maldives and the Indian subcontinent — regions identified as very important for Hyatt’s expansion strategy.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation currently has 10 properties operating across the GCC, and at least nine new hotels are expected to open in the region by 2017.
These will include Hyatt Regency Makkah, Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya, Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Residences Emirates Pearl and Park Hyatt Doha.
Additionally, the group is continuing to diversify its offerings in the GCC with one of the fastest growing brands in its global portfolio — the Hyatt Place brand, with Hyatt Place Makkah and Hyatt Place Jeddah/Medina Road. The company will also introduce its extended-stay Hyatt House brand in the region for the first time with Hyatt House Jeddah/Sari Street and Hyatt House Makkah.
Openings for the group this year include the 126-key Hyatt Place Dubai/Baniyas Square, in July, marking the brand’s second property in Dubai. Next to launch is the 657-key Hyatt Regency Makkah, which will be part of a two-phase mixed use development in proximity to Al Masjid Al Haram.
The 47-storey Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Residences will be the brand’s first in the UAE capital.
Graf first joined Hyatt Hotels in 1984, and 20 years later took on the role of general manager at Park Hyatt Dubai. In 2007 he left the company to join Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, before returning to Hyatt in 2012.
By the numbers
Number of years in role: 3.5
Number of years with company: 25
Number of Middle East operating hotels: 10
Number of Middle East pipeline hotels: 9
Number of Qatar hotels: 1
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