29. Nehme Imad Darwiche, Chief Executive Officer of Jannah Hotels & Resorts
Home-grown hotel group has expanded quickly in its first three years, with a young CEO at the helm
With 16 years of hospitality industry experience behind him (12 in the MENA region), Darwiche has founded his own hotel group, where he oversees a total of 500 staff.
Darwiche’s hotel group grew from one to six hotels in the region within its first three years, and in 2016 introduced a new brand, the Al Seef Resort & Spa by Andalus.
Darwiche’s Jannah Hotels & Resorts, which bills itself as “halal-friendly” and alcohol-free, was originally born out of Darwiche’s desire to bring Bedouin-inspired hospitality to hotels in the region. Features of the Jannah brand in the UAE include the connectivity of the Jannah Burj Al Sarab, Abu Dhabi, which the hotel group claims is the fastest hotel internet connection in the world.
The brand’s operations also focus on an atypical power hierarchy within the hotel. “I started the company three years ago with a very streamlined process and structure that is aimed at minimising the hierarchy often found in corporate organisations,” Darwiche told Hotelier. “This way, our “talents” can focus on delivering their best to our guests with full support from the management team, allowing them to take a decision on the spot.”
Jannah Hotels and Resorts is expected to open two new properties in the UAE by the end of 2016, located in Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah. Darwiche Worldwide Legacy also plans the future launch of a budget-brand, currently named BedoInn.
By the numbers
3.5 Number of years in the role
3.5 Number of years with company
7 Number of Middle East operating hotels as of July 2016
5 Number of Middle East pipeline hotels as of July 2016
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