FAB Group aims to lead in hospitality, dining and branding innovation across MENA

FAB Group, a new lifestyle and culinary venture created by UAE-based investment and development company DEAL Holdings, plans to launch popular boutique brands featuring Michelin-star talent from the UK and Europe across the MENA region, while also creating immersive culinary and lifestyle experiences.

FAB Group is committed to opening a minimum of 25 locations in the UAE over the next five years, with additional flagship destinations in Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha and the Red Sea.

Along with enhancing the region's growing reputation as a global culinary hub, the launch of FAB Group will support local talent, providing access to employment opportunities with roughly 800 jobs set to be created in the UAE alone over the next five years, and more across the wider GCC.

Andrew Cullen, FAB Group Regional F&B Director said: "Over the course of the next few months, we will be making some hugely exciting announcements which will significantly enhance the region's F&B offerings and redefine how the industry is perceived both on a regional and global level.

"The Middle East is already widely regarded as a leader in this space, with many of the world's biggest brands now operating in the region. Our ambition is to build on the fantastic work which has already been carried out and strengthen MENA's global status."

Abdalla Al'Mheiri, DEAL Holdings CEO added: "We are thrilled to introduce FAB Group to the Middle East market, marking a significant moment for the region's hospitality sector, which continues to thrive.

"Created by DEAL Holdings, FAB Group has big ambitions, and we are fully committed to making strategic investment, enabling the brand to evolve with a clear direction while achieving its long-term objectives."

FAB Group's portfolio will span fine dining, contemporary cuisine, café culture, nightlife, wellness concepts, and luxury brand collaborations. Several flagship projects are already in development and will be announced in the coming months.

A major investment and development company, DEAL Holdings boasts a substantial number of branded residences, hospitality projects and commercial real estate across the MENA region.

International SOS emphasises the need to promote healthy routines, road safety during Ramadhan

International SOS, the global medical and security risk services company, offers tips for a healthy Ramadhan, highlighting the importance of organisations promoting healthy routines to the workforce.

International SOS’ advice for a healthy Ramadhan includes:

- Eat moderately at iftar, and make sure to have a healthy meal at dawn before you start your fasting

- Get eight hours of sleep during each 24-hour period

- Wait two to three hours after iftar before exercising and focus on lighter activities like brisk walking

- Consult your doctor on how to manage medications and chronic illnesses such as diabetes before Ramadhan.

- Try to conduct more difficult work tasks earlier in the day, and drive safely.

Dr Firas Ayash, Senior Coordinating Doctor, Assistance Centre at International SOS, commented on what individuals and employers can do to reduce risks. “Organisations should remind employees about maintaining a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water and the importance of regular rest and exercise. Individuals who are fasting should check their weight, blood pressure, sugar levels and cholesterol before Ramadhan. Each of these are key indicators for lifestyle-related conditions that are not often checked and known,” he said.

International SOS is also raising awareness about road safety among employers and employees during this busy time, particularly in the hours before sunset when the ability to concentration can decrease due to the long fasting day, International SOS said.

Road safety is one of the top hazards for business travellers and each year approximately 1.352 million people die in road accidents around the world and between 20 and 50 million people sustain non-fatal injuries*.

Julian Moro, Regional Security Director, EMEA at International SOS and Control Risks, said: “Road safety during Ramadhan is a major and often unappreciated danger for travellers and those staying in their home countries. During Ramadhan, traffic accidents tend to peak as sunset nears and people rush to iftar. We would advise people to avoid any unnecessary travel on the roads at this time and take safety measures seriously whenever they are on the roads, whether as a driver, passenger or pedestrian.”

“With 30%** of road accidents being work related, travellers, managers and support staff to negotiate the pitfalls and opportunities that exist with a mobile workforce. With a few simple precautions, individuals and employers can reduce the risks associated with being on the road.”

*Global status report on road safety 2018. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018. 

**https://community.michelinchallengebibendum.com/

Tailored wellness programmes at the Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara

Source: Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara. The
Balance Wellness by Anantara programme includes
specially-designed vegan cuisine.

Luxury private pool villa resort Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara has launched a new wellness programme featuring an ala carte concept.

Nestled between a private beach and a freshwater lagoon in Salalah, Oman, Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara allows guests to pursue their wellbeing goals in an idyllic environment. Delivering wellness packages tailored to each guest, the Balance Wellness by Anantara programme kicks off with a consultation to ascertain the needs and goals of the individual. Depending on the length of the stay, guests can then choose from a wide array of healthy cuisine, as well as activities, and therapies to suit them based on guidance from trained experts.

“In line with our fundamental approach to customer service at Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara, we really wanted to provide a bespoke experience for our wellness guests,” said Virginia Cogliati, Director of Spa at Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara. “In addition, we have the unique offering of private pool villas in which guests seeking more solitude on their journey to wellbeing can enjoy activities and meals on their own personal pool terrace.”

Available in three, five or seven-day packages, the retreats include rejuvenating spa treatments, purification therapy and nutritious cuisine along with individual activity sessions such as yoga and hiking the mountainous coast of Salalah. Full board dining centred on nutrition is designed to encourage good health and fuel the body efficiently. Guests will also receive additional discounts on all spa and wellness treatments depending on the length of their stay.

The Balance Wellness by Anantara menu has been created by Italian vegan chef Valeria Agnelutto. Designed to detoxify and energise the system while delivering maximum flavour, dishes include Italian pasta e fagioli (beans) and chickpea burgers with rosemary and parsley and veggie mayo. The three-course meals also include  starters such as avocado tartare with cucumber and dates and raw tiramisu for dessert. Each dish comes with a detailed nutritional breakdown and is accompanied by vitamin-packed raw juice.

One highlight of the wellness programme is experiencing Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara's luxury hammam (steam bath), the only one in the region. The ritual starts with a steam bath in preparation for a black soap cleansing and kessa mitt* exfoliation to sweep impurities. Once steamed and scrubbed, a Moroccan Rhassoul** treatment nourishes and rehydrates skin.

Details:

The Balance Wellness by Anantara packages at Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara start from RO154.

Call +968 2322 8222 to book a Balance Wellness by Anantara package.

*Black soap is made from black olives and oil. The kessa glove, used for exfoliation, is often used in Morocco and Turkey.

**Rhassoul clay comes from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

Islamic wellness traditions to catch on globally in 2015 and beyond

Spafinder Wellness 365 has released its 12th report* on the top 10 spa and wellness trends set to unfold in 2015.

“In our 12 years of trend-tracking, we have never seen spa/wellness concepts go so deep and global, be so meaningful and move in so many surprising, provocative directions,” said Spafinder Wellness Chief Brand Officer Mia Kyricos. “Our goal is to provide an in-depth resource and help the industry make informed decisions by analysing the social, cultural and economic shifts that fuel each trend.”

The top global spa and wellness trends for 2015 include wellness traditions from the Islamic world.

According to Spafinder, the world has as yet been not noticed what the wellness traditions of the Islamic world can offer with its "advanced food-as-medicine, and nature-based beauty and healing practices, refined for 1,000 years". The company predicts that more people will seek nutritional, beauty and “spa” traditions central to Islamic cultures in years ahead. 

Middle Eastern and African spices, grains and fruits will be the buzzed-about superfoods, ingredients used for both food and beauty (from camel’s milk to baobab fruit) will trend, and spas will offer more experiences like rasul**/mud treatments and sand bathing.

Spafinder suggests checking out the blackseed-infused, Senegalese skincare line, Tiossan, and the planned Zulal Destination Spa (Doha, Qatar, 2017), which is to be the first retreat to immerse guests in the well-being traditions from across the Islamic world. 

Read the report here. 

*The report is based on surveys with the company’s network of consumers, travel agents and spa/wellness businesses conducted over the last year. 

**A rasul is a room in the Arab tradition where steam and mud are applied to bodies.