Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa has appointed Chef Javier Felipe Arango Salazar as their new Executive Chef. Chef Salazar has over 15 years of culinary experience. With 11 years’ experience working with Ritz-Carlton, Chef Salazar has gained extensive knowledge in American, Spanish, Asian and Mediterranean cuisines.

Saad Al Ghamdi joins Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre as Director of Sales & Marketing. Prior to his new role, Al Ghamdi served as a Director of Sales & Marketing at Marriott Hotel Al Forsan in Abu Dhabi. He has over 15 years’ experience with Marriott International and has won several accolades.

Taj Dubai has appointed Saurabh Tiwari as its new General Manager. Tiwari is a seasoned hotelier with over 20 years of experience. He has worked extensively with Meliá Hotels International, as GM in Ibiza, Mallorca, London and Dubai from 2015 to 2021. Prior to this, he was General Manager at ME Ibiza.

Air France-KLM has appointed Sylvain Mathias as the new Regional Commercial Director Middle East, based in Dubai. Mathias has held several senior roles with Air France-KLM in business development, sales, and corporate strategy. His previous role was Regional Commercial Director Near East based in Beirut, Lebanon.

DoubleTree by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah has appointed Eva Muscheid as Hotel Manager. Muscheid brings 16 years of industry experience. During her tenure with Hilton, she has held several positions including Cluster Director of Business Development for a selection of Hilton properties from 2016 to 2021.

Ayman Gharib has been named as Managing Director of Raffles The Palm Dubai ahead of its highly anticipated opening in Q4 of this year. He joined the Raffles team in 2009, bringing with him more than 20 years of hospitality experience and a deep understanding of the luxury hotel industry.

Kempinski has appointed three key hoteliers in the region: Sébastien Mariette is Area General Manager Levant for the three Kempinski hotels in Jordan as well as the Kempinski Summerland Hotel & Resort Beirut. Karim Tayach is Area General Manager GCC, excluding UAE. Based in Qatar, he will look after Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl and Kempinski Residences & Suites in Doha, Kempinski Hotel Muscat in Oman as well as Kempinski Al Othman Hotel in Al Khobar. Manish Nambiar is the new Area General Manager Accra for Kempinski Hotels in Africa.

The Palm Jumeirah’s newest luxury hotel, The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm, has announced two new additions to its team of experienced professionals, with the appointment of Ahmad Qasim as Director of Food & Beverage and Thomas Pendarovski as Executive Chef. Ahmad Qasim brings over 12 years working in the hospitality industry, with exceptional skills across catering, F&B, hotel, and hospitality management. Boasting over 16 years of experience, Thomas Pendarovski joins the property with extensive culinary expertise and a wealth of knowledge, both regional and global.