2018 was definitely was a busy year for hoteliers in the region. Given all the exciting developments, it was certainly a challenge for the Hotelier Middle East editorial team to rank this year’s list.

As always, the Power 50 is a subjective ranking, but it’s also grounded in facts and data. As with previous years, the team used an algorithm developed in-house, wherein data such as number of operating hotels and pipeline figures were collected.

1. Olivier Granet

AccorHotels’s CEO Middle East and Africa, Olivier Granet has earned his well-deserved spot at the top of the list. Granet led the operator through a period of rapid growth, tripling the portfolio to 160 operational hotels in the MENA with another 115 in the pipeline. After the release of the Power 50 rankings, AccorHotels also finalised the acquisition of Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, further boosting its portfolio in the region.

2. Alex Kyriakidis, president and MD, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International

3. Pascal Gauvin, MD, India, Middle East & Afria, InterContinental Hotels Group

4. Omer Kaddouri, President & CEO Rotana Hotel Management Corporation

5. Tim Cordon, Area senior vice president, Middle East, Turkey and Africa Radisson Hotel Group

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

 

7. Olivier Harnisch, Chief executive officer, Emaar Hospitality Group

8. Marc Descrozaille, President MEA, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts

9. Kamel Ajami, Vice President, Operations, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia & Levant, Hilton

10. Ignace Bauwens, Regional vice president, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts​​​​​​​

To see the whole Power 50 list, head to: http://power50.hoteliermiddleeast.com/

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