The final 10 ranks in the Hotelier Middle East Power 50 2017

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 hoteliers who made it to ranks 31-40 - to read the full entries, head over to the micro-site.

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

41. Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi, executive chairman, The Oberoi Group

In the Middle East, the Oberoi Group has a growing presence, with four operational hotels – one property in Dubai and another in Ajman in the UAE; one in Madinah, Saudi Arabia; and a hotel in Egypt, along with two luxury cruise boats.

42. Philippe Zuber, president and chief operating officer, One&Only Resort

According to Philippe Zuber, One&Only is currently in a strategic development phase. In April 2017, it announced plans to expand the One&Only portfolio, creating One&Only Nature Resorts, One&Only Urban Resorts, and One&Only Private Homes. Globally, the company has an additional five resorts currently in development – including one in Bahrain.

According to Zuber, who believes in an open-door style of management, the best part of his job is working with many different people from around the world in the company’s various departments.

43. Anton Bawab, regional president, Viceroy Hotels and Resorts

It might be fair to say that this year has not gone quite as planned for Anton Bawab and the rest of Viceroy Hotels and Resorts team.  It was announced in mid-June that the company would no longer operate its Dubai property on Palm Jumeirah. The hotel was taken over by Five Holding’s Kabir Mulchandani less than three months after opening in March, and Viceroy Hotels has been embroiled in a legal tussle since June.

44. Frederic Flageat-Simon, chief executive officer, Alila Hotels and Resorts

As chief executive officer of Alila’s parent company, Two Roads Hospitality Asia, Frederic Flageat-Simon has been in his current role for a little over 12 years. His 20 years of industry expertise span both Europe and Asia.

45. Sir Rocco Forte, founder and chairman, Rocco Forte Hotels

In March 2017, the family-run company made hospitality industry news with its Middle East debut, the opening of the 210-key Assila Rocco Forte Hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which also offers 94 residential suites. Insiders interpreted the move as intent by Rocco Forte Hotels to expand beyond Europe.

46. Abdulla Bin Sulayem, CEO, Seven Tides

Despite having just launched its first operated hotel, Seven Tides has already started to set out long-term growth strategies. It has opened and operates Dukes Dubai hotel, while owning three others in Dubai, and there are reportedly plans to launch a resort on Dubai’s World Islands.

47. Jonathan Sheard, CEO, Rixos Hospitality

The Rixos Premium Dubai, the third property by Rixos Hotels in the UAE, opened its doors to guests on 24 June, 2017. The company already operates two other hotels in the UAE - Rixos The Palm Dubai, and Rixos Bab Al Bahr, Ras Al Khaimah. The Turkish operator plans to add another two properties to its portfolio by 2018, in Abu Dhabi and the Maldives.

48. Alexander Bohnekamp, CEO, H'Mark Hosts

Alexander Bohnekamp has been at the forefront of rebranding what was last year called the H Hospitality Collection to H’Mark Hosts. H’Mark Hosts is the hospitality arm of Abu Dhabi Capital Group and is currently operating its brands of H Hotels & Resorts (Dubai & Seychelles), CentreVille (Montenegro) and White Label Hotels (Villa Diyafa in Rabat, Morocco and the Bulgari London) as well as developing restaurant concepts.

49. Philippe Harb, chief operating officer and partner, One to One Hotels & Resorts

The last year has been a quiet one for Philippe Harb at One to One, although the group has plans to open seven new hotels in the next three quarters. In fact, two are due to open in the next quarter, Harb reveals. Both will be four-star properties in the UAE – Boutique Al Dhar in Sharjah and Boutique Great Wall in Ras Al Khaimah.

50. Ranjit Phillipose, general manager, Taj Dubai

Ranjit Phillipose is juggling roles as the general manager of Taj Dubai and as the area development head for the operator in the region. Taj Exotica Resort and Spa Palm Jumeirah is scheduled to open in 2019, while Vivanta by Taj in JLT is aiming for a Q4 2018 opening.