Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara debuts overseas training

Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara has introduced an overseas training programme, providing key Omani members of the team with the opportunity to gain experience at other Anantara properties around the world.

Overseen by the resort's training manager Yousra Mizouali, the programme follows a cross-training initiative for Omani employees that took place during the pre-opening phase of the resort, with plans to ensure this becomes a regular occurrence.

The latest batch of overseas training took place in November 2017 and saw four Omani employees embark on programmes at a selection of Anantara’s flagship resorts. The hoteliers worked across different departments, including security, reservations, human resources and front of house.
 
Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara general manager James Hewitson said in a statement: "We have introduced the overseas training programme to give our Omani employees the opportunity to gain exposure to other cultures and different processes and ways of management. We hope it has helped to instill a strong sense of pride in their work so they can begin to progress up the career ladder. Overall, we are focused on continuing to drive Omanisation at the resort through a series of initiatives, including a recent partnership with the National Hospitality Institute (NHI), so that we can encourage local people from the surrounding community to pursue a successful career in hospitality."

Mizouali added: "The programme involves hands-on training, whereby they shadow team members in their respective departments and are presented with new challenges and tasks that they’ll need to learn in order to progress. Our aim is for employees to return with a renewed energy and passion for hospitality so they are motivated to improve and add value to both our property and tourism within Oman."

The move follows a recent recognition from Green Growth 2050 with a Gold level certification, citing the resort’s commitment to Omanisation and community support as reasons why it stands out as the only property, along with its sister property in Jabal Al Akhdar, to be awarded with this accolade in Oman. 

Click through to read about the experiences of a few different hoteliers...
 

Fakhri Mohammed Rabia, bell captain, visited Anantara Layan Phuket Resort & Spa where he assisted with guest relations. He said: "It was exciting to work in a different country and gain experience at a more established and busier hotel. During my time, I learnt how they manage their teams and service guests efficiently, whilst also proving myself capable to take the next step in my career."
 
Training officer Ali Said Al Mahri spent several weeks at Anantara Riverside Bangkok where he focused on getting an insight into how the team approached training whilst also gaining a deeper understanding of the brand. He said: "It was an excellent opportunity to work with a new team in a new culture as well as learn different ways of training and see how the brand standards are upheld across different properties."
 
Suhail Said Mohammed Tabook, reservations agent, visited Anantara Sathorn Bangkok Hotel to assist the reservations team. He said: "I learned to appreciate the melting pot of cultures that exist within the Ananara family and I feel I am now able to perform more of the functions required to move up the career ladder."
 
Security supervisor Khalid Musabah Bin Said Al Saidi shadowed the team at Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort. He commented: "I gained a huge amount of experience during my time in Dubai and can’t wait to implement what I learnt back in Salalah."