Hotel engineering experts met at The Palace — The Old Town in Dubai to discuss not just how to save costs or energy in hotels, but how to save the world

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: HOTELIER’S EXPERT PANEL

Sameh Zaki
Director of Engineering
Hilton Dubai Jumeirah & Hilton Dubai Creek

Currently cluster director of engineering for Hilton’s properties in Dubai, Sameh Zaki has worked with Hilton for 25 years. He has been in Dubai for 10 years and previously worked at Hilton Abu Dhabi for four years. Prior to his hospitality career, Zaki was in the army for 12 years.

Abdul-Quddus Sheikh
Director of engineering
The Palace — The Old Town

Abdul Quddus Sheikh began his hotel career with Bahrain Holiday Inn in 1978, when he was the handover engineer from the contractor. Since then he has worked with Holiday Inn in Muscat, Janbu, Abu Dhabi and Salalah. Remaining with InterContinental Hotels Group, he came to Crowne Plaza Dubai for the pre-opening and worked there for nine and a half years. Sheikh moved to Rotana, working with Al Bustan Rotana in 2001 and opening also Fujairah Rotana and Al Murooj Rotana in Dubai. He took up his current role at The Palace — The Old Town during the pre-opening in October 2007.

Tito D’Costa
Chief engineer
Al Diar Siji Hotel

Tito D’Costa started his career in Dubai with The Metropolitan Hotel Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road. He worked there for five years before moving to Fujairah, where he heads up the engineering department at Al Diar Siji Hotel and also the sister apartments, which opened last year. In total, D’Costa has been with Al Diar for 11 years.

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Madan Kulkarni
Director of engineering
The Address Downtown

A mechanical engineer, Madan Kulkarni entered the hotel industry in 1978 with Taj hotels in Mumbai. He worked with Taj and Oberoi in India and moved to Dubai 10 years ago to join Ritz-Carlton. Kulkarni took up his current role with The Address Hotels and Resorts in mid-2008. He could not imagine doing any other job, saying he was “struck like a magnet with this industry”.

Wael Ahmed Farouk
Director of engineering
Courtyard by Marriott & Marriott Executive Apartments Green Community, Dubai

A civil engineer and graduate from Alexandria University, Wael Farouk worked in maintenance until 1997 but not in the hotel field. He entered the industry in 1997 when he joined Marriott as assistant chief engineer at Marriott Renaissance Hotel in Alexandria in Egypt. Then he moved to Dubai for the opening of Courtyard Marriott in 2004 as director of engineering. He is currently cluster director of engineering for the Courtyard Marriott, Marriott Executive Apartments Green Community and Marriott Executive Apartments Creek, and cant see himself working in any other field.