Here's who made it to the top 10 in the Hotelier Middle East Power 50

Hotelier Middle East has revealed its 2017 edition of the Power 50 List, and in conjunction with the special issue of the September 2017 edition, has also launched a dedicated micro-site for the feature.

Here's a snapshot of the first 10 in the list - to read the full entries, head over to the micro-site.

Until then, watch a video of our round-up of the list... 

1. Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International

First up, is Alex Kyriakidis, who has had a very busy year. Region-wide, Marriott International now operates more than 130 hotels across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with in excess of 41,000 rooms. It has more than 100 properties in the pipeline between now and 2026, which covers 25,000-plus rooms.

2. Olivier Granet, managing director and chief operating officer, AccorHotels Middle East and Africa

Olivier Granet oversees the eco- and midscale properties for the Middle East, and eco-, midscale, and luxe properties for North Africa, and with more than 100 hotels in the pipeline, it has been another record year for the company in these countries. The acquisition of FRHI has been keeping Granet busy over the last year as well.

3. Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)

The IHG behemoth is growing, and how. Pascal Gauvin commands 28,833 rooms across 80 hotels operating in this region as of 30 June this year, and with 28 properties in the pipeline (7,326 rooms), Gauvin is as busy as ever.

4. Mark Willis, area senior vice president Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

What’s really impressive about the last 12 months for the Rezidor Hotel Group is the 50 properties it reportedly has in its pipeline for the Middle East and North Africa, up from 21 in the Middle East last year. With 39 operating properties and 8,751 rooms, Mark Willis (who in the last year was promoted to a senior role and added Africa to his portfolio), says that in Saudi Arabia, the company is “one of the fastest-growing hotel groups”, with expansion in both primary and secondary cities.

5. Andreas Mattmüller, COO, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Middle East and Africa

Andreas Mattmüller joined Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts in 2001, and today, Mövenpick manages 50 hotels in the Middle East and Africa, with nearly 20 projects under development. Last year has seen a number of openings and new signings for the group. Not to mention the technological advancements the company is making... 

6. Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi, Founder, President, and CEO, Millennium Hotels & Resorts, Middle East and Africa

Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi, the founder, president, and CEO for Millennium Hotels & Resorts, Middle East and Africa, has launched eight hotels since July 2016, with 20 more due to open by the end of 2017 – at which point the group’s portfolio will have grown by more than 50% over the last year. For Alzaabi, the past year is only the start of rapid, region-wide expansion for the group, with the goal of operating more than 100 properties within the next three years.

7. Omer Kaddouri, president and CEO, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation Ltd

Omer Kaddouri has seen eight properties open in the last year, taking the number of operating hotels up to 56. Ten agreements have also been signed, keeping a healthy pipeline figure of 49. In April he told Hotelier: “The next 18 to 24 months are going to be the months of opening hotels. We have 17 hotels to open up between now and the end of 2018. We’re sitting at 56 operating hotels and about 49 to 50 in the pipeline, so we normally keep it at a 50:50 ratio. Our wish is to be stronger in the whole Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and GCC area.”

8. Robert Kunkler, chief operating officer, Minor Hotels

Minor Hotels has had a good year in the region. It has opened two Anantara-branded properties in Oman, signed the development of the first Minor Hotels property in Saudi Arabia, and – just before the 2016 edition of this list – rebranded the Mövenpick Deira as an Avani property. Two more Avani hotels have been added to the existing Avani Jebel Dhanna in the pipeline: Avani Ibn Battuta Dubai Hotel, in partnership with Nakheel, and Avani Al Marjan Island Ras Al Khaimah Resort.

9. Kamel Ajami, vice president operations, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Levant, Hilton

Hilton is a hospitality giant, and while Kamel Ajami is the VP of operations for only the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Levant, his 16 hotels account for approximately 27% of Hilton’s supply in the MENA region. Even more impressive, his 32 pipeline hotels are responsible for just under half of Hilton’s pipeline of 79 hotels in MENA. Under his leadership, Hilton’s footprint in KSA and the Levant is set to triple in the region.

10. Amine Moukarzel, president/ partner, Louvre Hotels Group/ Golden Tulip Hotels MENA

Louvre Hotels Group, with a presence in more than 18 countries and 60 locations including the GCC, Levant, North Africa, and each of the MENA markets, has established a firm footing in the region under its president, Amine Moukarzel.