Taking place on May 28 in Dubai, the event will showcase the visionary talents that make this region the most exciting place to work in hospitality.

An ITP Media Group event, in association with Hotelier Middle East, there are 21 categories in the inaugural ceremony, which will be held on Banyan Tree Dubai, Bluewaters.

The shortlists for each category were crafted from more than 500 nominations, with the final winners and highly commended people and teams decided by a panel of industry and leadership experts.

Every facet of hotel leadership will be celebrated, including commitments to sustainability, talent development, wellness and culinary. There will also be awards for community champions and hotels with outstanding revenue performances.

Awards will also be presented to future leaders and GMs under 40, as well as hoteliers who look after serviced residences, city hotels, luxury properties and resorts. Meanwhile, the Grand Prix finale to the evening will celebrate the best GMs by territory, shining a spotlight on individuals from Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The ceremony itself will be accompanied by a three-course meal and free-flowing premium drinks.

Reserve your seats now

Keep reading to find out all the categories and which GMs and leadership teams are nominated in each one.

Leadership Team Awards

COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY

• Avani+ Palm View Dubai Hotel & Suites, Dubai
• Conrad Dubai
• Destination Mina Seyahi, Dubai
• Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya
• Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island Cluster
• Kempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah
• Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach, Dubai
• Pullman Dubai Downtown
• Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman
• The H Dubai

COMMITMENT TO GUEST EXPERIENCE

• Aleph Doha Residences, Curio Collection by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton Doha – Al Sadd
• Fairmont Ramla Serviced Residences Riyadh
• Holiday Inn Jeddah Gateway
• Leva Hotel, Dubai
• Mandarin Oriental Al Faisalah, Riyadh
• Park Inn by Radisson Dubai Motor City
• Sheraton Soma Bay Resort, Egypt
• Voco Bonnington Dubai
• W Doha Hotel & Residences
• Wyndham Hotels Ajman

COMMITMENT TO TALENT DEVELOPMENT

• Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Residences, Emirates Pearl
• Intercontinental Bahrain
• InterContinental Dubai Marina Hotel & Apartments
• Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai
• Hilton Garden Inn Al Mina, Hilton Garden Inn Al Muraqabat & Hampton by Hilton Dubai Airport
• Melia Desert Palm, A Member of the Melia Collection
• Radisson Red Dubai Silicon Oasis
• Shangri-La Jeddah
• The Ritz-Carlton, Doha
• Waldorf Astoria DIFC, Dubai

COMMITMENT TO WELLNESS

• Dusit Thani Dubai
• Madinat Jumeirah Resorts, Dubai
• Melia Desert Palm, A Member of the Melia Collection
• The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel
• Waldorf Astoria Kuwait

COMMITMENT TO CULINARY

• Atlantis Dubai
• Burj Al Arab Jumeirah
• Destination Mina Seyahi, Dubai
• Gulf Hotels Bahrain
• JW Marriott Marquis Dubai
• Kempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
• Marriott Riyadh Hotels & Assila Luxury Collection Jeddah
• Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel
• Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman
• The St. Regis Abu Dhabi

COMMUNITY CHAMPION AWARD

• Avani+ Palm View Dubai Hotel & Suites
• IHG Cairo Citystars
• Rixos Marina Abu Dhabi
• Towers Rotana, Dubai
• Wyndham Hotels Ajman

OUTSTANDING REVENUE PERFORMANCE

• Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
• Fairmont Ramla Serviced Residences Riyadh
• FORM Hotel, Dubai
• Grand Millennium Business Bay, Dubai
• IHG Hotels at Dubai Festival City
• JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai
• Millennium Al Rawdah Hotel, Abu Dhabi
• Shangri-La Dubai
• Sofitel Dubai The Palm
• Taj Dubai

General Manager Awards

FUTURE LEADER OF THE YEAR

• Abdulrahman AL Mehmadi, Swissotel Al Maqam Makkah
• George Al Asmar, Waldorf Astoria DIFC, Dubai
• Jeremy Canivet, The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain
• Ibrahim Althubiani, Hyatt Regency Riyadh – Olaya
• Justin Jacob, Sheraton Oman Hotel
• Laura Nicli, Pullman Dubai Creek City Centre
• Marilu Olvera, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, Abu Dhabi
• Peter Haber, Mondrian Doha
• Sylvia Matei, Holiday Inn & Staybridge Suites Dubai Al Maktoum Hotel
• Vanessa Faisal, Shaza Hotels

YOUNG GM OF THE YEAR

• Ahmed Ben Zaied, Sharjah Collection
• Akash Arshad Chaudhary, Park Inn by Radisson Jeddah
• Eric Masalawala, Premier Inn Dubai Dragon Mart
• Gurnoor Bindra, Sheraton Mall of the Emirates, Dubai
• Mohammed Keshreh, Radisson Muscat Panorama & Levatio Suites Muscat, A Member Of Radisson Individuals

GM OF THE YEAR: SERVICED RESIDENCES

• Antje Sahling, InterContinental Dubai Marina Hotel & Apartments
• Bruno Hivon, Staybridge Suites Business Bay, Dubai
• Daniel van Wyk, Hilton Doha The Pearl
• Muhieddine Zok, Fairmont Ramla Serviced Residences Riyadh
• Nemo Acimovic, Bab Al Qasr Hotel & Residences, Abu Dhabi

GM OF THE YEAR: CITY HOTEL

• Andre A. Saade, Crowne Plaza Riyadh Minhal
• Alexander Musch, Pullmann Dubai Downtown
• Anna Collier, Sheraton Grand Hotel Dubai
• Carlo Javakhia, The Ritz-Carlton, Doha
• Dr Mohammed Talaat, Swissotel Makkah
• Firas Mneimneh, Mansard Riyadh, A Radisson Collection Hotel
• Gerrit Gräf, JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai and Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites
• Mads Wolff, 25hours Hotel One Central, Dubai
• Sayed Tayoun, Holiday Inn & Suites Dubai Science Park
• Stefan Thumiger, Towers Rotana

GM OF THE YEAR: RESORT

• Adrian Stoppe, Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah
• Andreas Searty, Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah
• Burcak Orak, Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi
• Christophe Schnyder, Sofitel Dubai The Palm
• Dominic Arel, Fairmont The Palm
• Hani Selim, Kempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah
• Jeroen Elmendorp, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai
• Manish Jha, NH Collection The Palm
• Mehdi Zaanoun, Four Seasons Resort & Residences Doha at The Pearl – Qatar
• Stefano Capaccetti, Rixos Premium Qetaifan Island North, Qatar

GM OF THE YEAR LUXURY PROPERTY

• Ahmed Issa, Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi
• Alessandro Redaelli, Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers
• Alexander Blair, Shangri-La Jeddah
• David Wilson, Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah
• Kemal Sirtikirmizi, Waldorf Astoria Kuwait
• Guenter Gebhard, Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh
• Marwan Fadel, The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm Hotel
• Mikel Ibrahim, Mondrian Doha
• Mohammad Abuharba, Dar Al Tawhid InterContinental Makkah
• Slim Zaine, Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

Grand Prix

GM OF THE YEAR: OMAN

• Andrea Orru, Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara
• Carsten Wiegandt, Kempinski Hotel Muscat
• Daniel Arbenz, InterContinental Muscat
• Diletta Guarino, Six Senses Zighy Bay
• Erkan Karatas, Al Bustan Palace, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel
• Jagdeep Thakral, dusitD2 Naseem Adventure Resort Jabal Akhdar, Oman
• Maren Kuehl, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort
• Samir Messaoudi, Sheraton Oman Hotel
• Staris Latkas, W Muscat
• Wissam Injbar, Salalah Gardens Hotel

GM OF THE YEAR: EGYPT

• Ahmed Mohamed Ibrahim, Time Coral Uweiba Resort
• Ashraf Michel, Sheraton Cairo Hotel & Casino
• Boris Bornman, Sheraton Soma Bay
• Dieter Franke, InterContinental Cairo Citystars
• Frank Naboulsi, Fairmont Nile City
• Hussain Shoukry, Safir Cairo Hotel
• Magdy Anis, The St. Regis Cairo
• Omar Tantawy, Marriott Mena House, Cairo
• Sherif Nassar, Hilton Alexandria Green Plaza
• Tamer Khedr, Emaar Hospitality Group, Egypt

GM OF THE YEAR: JORDAN

• Andre Herrenschmidt, Hilton Dead Sea Resort & King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre Managed by Hilton
• Ayman Rasheed, Mövenpick Amman
• Ben Wozny, Grand Hyatt Amman
• Erden Kendigelen, The St. Regis Amman, W Amman & Al-Manara, A Luxury Collection Hotel by Marriott International
• Fakhri Hindiyeh, Radisson Blu Hotel Amman Galleria Mall
• Ibrahim Khalil, Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea
• Issam Al Ajouz, Hilton Amman
• Sami Ounalli, Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay, Mövenpick Resort & Residences Aqaba
• Sebastien Mariette, Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
• Tareq Derbas, The Ritz-Carlton, Amman

GM OF THE YEAR: KUWAIT

• Ahmed Serafi, Millennium Hotel and Convention Centre Kuwait
• Kemal Sirtikirmizi, Waldorf Astoria Kuwait
• Martin Kipping, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya
• Nader Nesishabori, Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa
• Ziad Boujaber, Marina Hotel Kuwait

GM OF THE YEAR: BAHRAIN

• Bernard de Villele, The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain
• Charbel Hanna, Crowne Plaza Bahrain
• Hameed Ali, Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention & Spa
• Jason Rodgers, Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay
• Marie-Berengere Chapoton, Raffles Al Areen Palace Bahrain
• Medhi Hanayen, Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa
• Nicolas Gardier, Downtown Rotana Hotel
• Petr Dubsky, The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel Residence & Spa
• Phillipp Economou, InterContinental Bahrain
• Tamer Farouk, Hilton Bahrain

GM OF THE YEAR: QATAR

• Andreas Jersabeck, Waldorf Astoria Doha West Bay
• Carlo Javakhia, The Ritz-Carlton, Doha
• Chadi Kassem, Aleph Doha Residences, Curio Collection by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton Doha – Al Sadd
• Cyril Mouawad, Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel and Marriott Executive Apartments City Center Doha
• Emad Nabulsi, Souq Al Wakra Hotel Qatar by Tivoli, Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels by Tivoli, Al Najada Doha Hotel by Tivoli, Al Najada Doha Hotel Apartments by Oaks
• Jose Portocarrero, Banyan Tree Doha
• Saleh Bataineh, Sharq Village & Spa, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel
• Sherif Kasseb, Rixos Gulf Hotel Doha
• Wassim Daageh, W Doha Hotel & Residences
• Yazan Latif, Masra Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl – Doha

GM OF THE YEAR: SAUDI ARABIA

• Aldert Van Zyl, Radisson Blu Hotel Riyadh Convention & Exhibition Centre
• Alexander Blair, Shangri-La Jeddah
• Bassam Ammar, Jabal Omar Hilton Makkah & Convention Centre Hotel
• Fadi Akeel, Jabal Omar Hyatt Regency Makkah
• Fady Sawaya, Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC Hotel & Convention Center
• Mazen Allam, The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh
• Muhieddine Zok, Fairmont Ramla Services Residences Riyadh
• Nader Ibrahim, Marriott Riyadh Hotels & Assila, Luxury Collection Hotel Jeddah
• Richard Johnson, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Al Faisalah, Riyadh
• Rolf Lippuner, Fairmont Riyadh

GM OF THE YEAR: UAE

• Burcak Orak, Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island
• Nader Halim, Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton, and DoubleTree by Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island Residences
• Christophe Schnyder, Sofitel Dubai The Palm
• Gerrit Schmitt, Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah
• Hakan Ozel, Shangri-La Dubai
• Jaime Simpson, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam
• James Hewitson, Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort
• Spencer Wadama, SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences
• Turgay Erdogan, Rixos Premium Dubai, JBR
• Victor Chalfoun, Waldorf Astoria DIFC

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