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.

Consider going halal-friendly to grow in the hospitality industry: HMH

Laurent Voivenel, CEO of HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings, says that the way forward for the hospitality industry is to be halal-friendly as halal tourism holds enormous potential. "Given the business opportunity and demand halal-friendly hotels will continue to claim bigger market share globally. By 2030, Muslims will make up more than a quarter of the global population rising from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion and 30% of this population will seek halal options," he said at the World Halal Travel Summit & Exhibition (WHTS15).

As a travel segment, halal tourism equals roughly 10% of the entire travel economy and last year was calculated to be worth US$145 billion, representing over 108 million Muslim travellers. The segment is forecast to continue to grow to 150 million visitors by 2020 and will be worth over US$200 billion globally, HMH notes. Commanding 33% share of the MENA region's halal-friendly segment, HMH created the region's first international halal-friendly chain of hotels.

HMH spotted the opportunity early in the MENA region, rolling out the concept in 2003. Voivenel said, "At HMH we have taken a ‘halal-friendly’ and not ‘halal-only’ approach. Our strategy has been to position ourselves as a perfect choice for both regional and international corporate and leisure travellers including families and single female guests seeking safe and healthy environment. Let's not forget, not everybody is seeking halal hotels. The world is shrinking with greater connectivity as well as low cost carriers opening new markets bringing in more diverse mix of travellers. Therefore, the way forward is not halal-only; rather it is halal-friendly, and that is what we are all about."

According to Laurent dry hotels are equally popular with Western or non-Muslim travellers. He said, "On average over 60% of our clientele are non-Muslims. Our typical customers are savvy travellers (both leisure and corporate) looking for value for money - basically, smart accommodation at the right price. Equally essential for them is a safe environment.

"A dry hotel can yield the same gross operating profit as the one with alcohol provided the facilities are defined right. After food and beverage, the largest money maker in a hotel is banqueting. So whenever HMH is involved in planning and development of hotel, we advise owners to allocate maximum space to meeting and banquet facilities instead of too many food and beverage outlets as that could generate superb revenue."

Interested?

Read the Suroor Asia blog post about HMH's plans to focus on the mid-market

posted from Bloggeroid

Hospitality Management Holdings lands operations contracts for hotels in Al Madina Al Munawarrah

Source: HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings. Laurent Voivenel, CEO, HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings and Al Sheikh Mohamed Ebrahim Abdulrahim, Owner, Mobarak Hotels Group.

HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings has entered into a management agreement with Mobarak Hotels Group for the operation of Coral Al Madina Hotel in Al Madina Al Munawarrah in Saudi Arabia.

Al Sheikh Mohamed Ebrahim Abdulrahim, Chairman of Mobarak Hotels Group said, “Our business vision is in line with the Saudi authorities’ plans for expanding the Holy Mosque of Prophet Mohammad and development of adjoining area. Therefore, Mobarak Hotels Group has appointed Designs Company that is specialised in providing integrated hotel solutions to oversee our growth and expansion. As part of this strategic agreement Designs Company will be responsible for developing world-class hospitality products and facilities around the Holy Mosque to meet the needs of growing Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. With an initial investment of SR1 billion, Designs Company and Mobarak Hotels Groups have entered into a management contract with HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings for operating Coral Al Madina Hotel. As part of this strategic understanding, we will hand over the management of four other 4-star hotels under development in the same area to HMH.”

Laurent Voivenel, CEO of HMH said, “Saudi Arabia is a key development market for HMH. We are very proud to debut in the Holy City of Madina and to enter into this very important partnership with Mobarak Hotels Group. We are truly grateful to them for having given us this opportunity. The hospitality industry in Madina is witnessing remarkable growth at the moment and we are very excited to be part of it. HMH is well-positioned in the Kingdom as one of the leading regional hotel groups equipped with the most advanced technology. We are confident Coral Al Madina Hotel will add tremendous value to our growing presence in Saudi Arabia and further strengthen our portfolio”.

Al Sheikh Mohamed stressed, “Coral Al Madina Hotel has been conceived to be a prestigious address for discerning travellers to Madina and is superbly located just across the road overlooking the Holy Mosque. It is a very significant project for us and we are pleased to appoint HMH as the operator who are well-equipped to meet the needs of the Saudi hotel sector in accordance with the best international standards.”

Featuring 400 plus rooms and suites, Coral Al Madina Hotel is spread over 10 floors and five basements. It has three restaurants, lobby lounge, luggage room, shopping arcade, gym and spa, two meeting rooms, business centre and parking space as well as helicopter landing site. The 5-star hotel is expected to welcome its first guests by Ramadhan 2015.

Hajj and umrah tourism are the mainstay of the Saudi economy. The number of pilgrims, which stood at 2 million in 2013, is expected to increase to 5.2 million by 2025. Aviation and hospitality infrastructure are, therefore, being rapidly developed to boost opportunities in Haj and Umrah.

The expansion of the airport in Jeddah is expected to accommodate 80 million people by 2035. At the same time Prince Muhammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madina is undergoing expansion with 83% of the project already complete. Madinah Airport is considered the third-most important gateway to Saudi Arabia and the second-most important airport during the Hajj and umrah pilgrimage seasons.

Madina receives an estimated 11 million visitors per year. Aviation traffic is slated to increase by 27% with the new expansion. The first phase of the project will be ready by early January 2015. The airport will accommodate nearly 8 million travellers annually once it starts operating. Upcoming phases include increasing airport capacity to 14 million passengers a year, while the third phase will see the premises accommodate almost 27 million people.

HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings is a fully-integrated hotel management company that prides itself on being the first hotel chain in the Middle East to offer an alcohol-free environment. It provides hotel owners and developers a broad spectrum of comprehensive management solutions with five distinct hotel brands, including The Ajman Palace Hotel, Coral Hotels & Resorts, Corp Hotels, EWA Hotel Apartments and ECOS Hotels. 

Book on Emirati hospitality launched

Zaabeel Palace Hospitality has launched a book documenting the local heritage on the sidelines of the Dubai World Hospitality Championship (DWHC) which ended on November 1. 

Emirati Hospitality: Customs and Traditions reviews hospitality traditions in the Arabian Gulf, charting the different historic, cultural and geographic connections between the various Gulf states (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman). The first edition of the book is signed by HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Source: Zaabeel Palace Hospitality.

HE Ahmed bin Hareb, President of DWHC, said that UAE's traditions are usually passed down by word of mouth, but Emirati Hospitality: Customs and Traditions has managed to document these Emirati customs across different eras. "We hope that the book would achieve its goal in documenting the elements of Emirati hospitality through its texts, photographs, and illustrative and informative drawings," he said.

Emirati Hospitality: Customs and Traditions demonstrates the essence of Emirati Hospitality, from Bedouin-style welcomes, desert-influenced drinks, cooking instruments, to wedding clothes. The book is divided into three sections: Emirati hospitality, Emirati cuisine, and food ingredients. 

The first chapter describes customs that originate at a time when most families had very few belongings to enable them to prepare a generous meal. Nevertheless, these families managed to give their guests a very warm welcome and offer them all possible means of comfort, regardless of the social status or geographic location of the hosting Emirati family. 

Modern Emirati families reflect the balance between tradition and modernism. Many local houses now have a mabrez (majlis), a reception room equipped with traditional Emirati seating, where guests can relax and lean on tickee (pillows), and which has chairs and matareh (matresses).

The book assured that some customs and traditions still exist as before, such as the practice of serving coffee, fresh fuala and desserts at the beginning of each visit. Such customs are considered an essential element of local manners and a permanent symbol of Emirati hospitality. 

Neighbours, families and friends still exchange food dishes and drinks as presents, and rich families still donate food generously to mosques and charities, especially at Ramadhan. Public water fridges are a common sight in front of local homes to ease the thirst of passersby and workers on the street. These practices and other are vivid evidence to the traditional and generous Emirati hospitality realised in modern everyday life.

The book has a history of traditional perfumes. Sandalwood, rose, henna, saffron and musk are thousands of years old, and still part of life in the UAE and in other areas in the Arab Gulf. Aloes and frankincense are part of every social meeting. Women pass a tray of frankincense amongst them in their gatherings to perfume their guests when they leave.

Fuala demonstrate the originality and authenticity of Emirati hospitality. Fuala are a diversity of miniature plates that are given to guests when they arrive, and show that the guest is honoured. Before fridges, microwaves and Tupperware were invented, Emirati families used to warm food for a long period, so they can offer their guests a fresh warm fuala whenever they come.

Emirati Hospitality: Customs and Traditions focuses on the mabrez as the main element in Emirati hospitality. The mabrez is both a location and a social institution. It gives a chance to Emiratis to speak directly to their elders and sheikhs, and has contributed to reinforcing unity amongst the community by hosting public discussions for many generations.

In the current political system of the UAE, governors still open the doors of their majalis (plural for majlis) for the public. Emirati homes usually consist of two majalis, one for males and the other for females, and are able to host large numbers of guests. 

Traditional clothing is one of the most vivid external manifestations of Emirati culture and national identity. The clothing does not only reflect the principles of Islam through modesty, but are also a commitment to local heritage and national pride. The book includes stitching details and ancient embroidery.

The second chapter of  the book discusses Emirati culinary arts in the absence of modern technologies, such as electricity, flowing water, air conditioning and electronic appliances. In humble homes without an independent kitchen, women used to cook in their yards using charcoal ovens (tanur) and stoves. It was challenging in the heat and humidity of summer. Sometimes, food ingredients were absent from the market for weeks, or people could not afford them. Food used to be distributed amongst neighbors, families, friends, strangers, and to charity.

This chapter of the book includes traditional cooking equipment, traditional recipes, Emirati drinks and local commodities. The recipes include fokat laham, matban laham, jasheed, salouna laham, al maleh, fokat samak, khameer, and khanfaroush in addition to salads and desserts.

Fresh beverages are an integral part of local hospitality. Emirati coffee is offered all day long, in addition to some salty and sweet snacks. Popular hot drinks include sweetened tea, various types of flavoured milk and namlet, as well as herbs added for their health benefits. 

Amongst the most famous traditional juices is sharbat, from which the word 'sherbet' is derived. Commercially drinks Vimto, introduced in 1908, and Tang, launched in 1957 are highly popular, especially in Ramadhan. 

The section on food ingredients discusses staples that are easily stored and which last without refrigeration, essential attributes for food used by the nomadic ancestors.

Muslim Friendly Hospitality Services standard is voluntary but could help businesses succeed

Islamic tourism is often thought to be about providing halal food, but Malaysia has noted that it also includes the full suite of hospitality services that comply with shari'ah law. This encompasses hotels, resorts, restaurants and airlines that offer food with halal certificates, but also do not serve alcoholic beverages, prayer facilities, provide separate wellness facilities for women, and a generally Muslim-friendly environment.

The Muslim Friendly Hospitality Services (MFHS) standard is Malaysia’s first standard dedicated for the Islamic tourism sector. Initiated and led by International Institute for Halal Research & Training (INHART) of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), the original submission to develop the standard was made in December 2012 to the Department of Standards Malaysia (DSM). This was followed by the appointment of SIRIM as the standard’s secretariat by DSM and the formation of a draft committee by the Technical Committee (TC) on Management System from Islamic Perspectives.

The draft, released as Draft Malaysian Standard : Muslim Friendly Hospitality Services – Requirements, is available for public feedback from 1 August to 30 September 2014. Find out how to participate here.

An industry review was held on 14 August and reported on 15 August on the ITC website. According to the report, Zulkifly Said, Director General of the ITC, said that implementation of the standard will be on a voluntary basis on the part of industry players, but pointed out that the guidelines will be a powerful marketing tool for businesses.