From left to right: • Dr Badr Al Badr, Chief Executive Officer, Dur Hospitality • Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director - IMEA, IHG • Ali Abdullah Alwahibi, Development Manager, Amaala • Yasmin Al Sanea, Human Resources Manager, Intercontinental, Al Jubail • Amine Moukarzel, President, MENA Region, Louvre Hotels Group • Guido de Wilde, Chief Operating Officer - Middle East, Marriott International • Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & Founder, Bench Events — Photo by MEED
MEED Dubai

Dubai, UAE: At last week's Saudi Arabia Hotel Investment Conference(SHIC) being held at the new Marriott Riyadh Diplomatic Quarter in KSA, the winner of the SHIC Young Leader Award was announced - recognising the exceptional young local talent working within the Kingdom's hospitality sector.

Yasmin Al Sanea, Human Resources Manager at the Intercontinental Al Jubail, was not only announced as the winning recipient of the award, but she also achieved wide recognition from the SHIC Board and broader industry, for her achievements so early in her career.

"I feel blessed and honoured to have been selected as this year's Young Leader award recipient and thank God for that. The hospitality and tourism sector is so fast-paced and dynamic especially for local nationals, and as a young professional, it's an incredible achievement to be acknowledged by some of the industry's best leaders," Yasmin said.

As well as receiving a full access pass to SHIC, Yasmin was also awarded with a two-day leadership course at the prestigious Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management in Dubai, with flights and accommodation included in her prize.

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench Events and Co-Founder of SHIC, said: "It is comforting to meet so many young industry professionals who are showcasing their passion and commitment to leadership. This is what SHIC and AHIC are all about - growing the industry and developing world-class hospitality leaders."

Commenting after the awards, Dr Badr Al Badr, Chief Executive Officer at DUR Hospitality, expressed his pleasure to support young and emerging talents within the Saudi hospitality sector. He stressed on the importance of contributions brought in by fresh talents towards developing innovative approaches and initiatives that will help drive the sector forward, achieve global excellence, and position Saudi Arabia as a leader in hospitality.

Furthermore, Al Badr congratulated Yasmin Al Sanea, stating that this important recognition highlights the major role played by women in developing all sectors in the Kingdom, and urged for more women empowerment within all the fields that will contribute in achieving a robust and varied Saudi economy.

The judging panel included the region's hospitality leaders, including Dr Badr Al Badr, Chief Executive Officer at DUR Hospitality, Shuja Zaidi, Principal at Equinox Hospitality, and Gasem Al Maimani, CEO at Taiba Holding Company.

About AHIC 2018

AHIC, now in its 14th year, is the annual gathering for the Middle East"s hospitality investment community organised by global hotel investment event organiser Bench Events in partnership with MEED Events. AHIC creates a knowledge and networking platform for global and regional investors of all backgrounds, offering essential insights to investing in hotels, showcasing regional and international hospitality investment opportunities and facilitating direct connections with hospitality industry stakeholders. AHIC 2018 will be held in a purpose-built AHIC Village on the beach of the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, from 17 April to 19 April 2018 in partnership with Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA). Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, AHIC 2018 will be co-hosted by its founding patron, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, whose continued support of the industry and AHIC has been critical to the region"s tourism growth.

AHIC 2018 Sponsors

AHIC 2018 is hosted by Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority. Sponsors include: Al Marjan Island, Hilton and The Rezidor Hotel Group as Platinum Sponsors; AccorHotels, Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), Dur Hospitality, Emaar Hospitality Group, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), IWG (Insignia Worldwide Group), Marriott International; The Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development – SMIT and Wyndham Hotel Group as Emerald Sponsors; and Action Hotels, Colliers International, Louvre Hotels Group, Melia Hotels International, STR, Time Hotels and Roya International as Gold Sponsors.

About Bench Events

Global event organiser Bench Events has a long track record of delivering multiple premium hotel investment conferences and forums across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America. Market leading annual conferences include the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) in Dubai, now in its 14th year, the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) the new Asia Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference (AHTIC), The Summit in London and the Latin American Hotel & Tourism Investment Conferences (SAHIC). Bench Events" extensive portfolio also includes the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF) in Dubai and AviaDev, designed to promote the future air connectivity in Africa. Bench Events" mission is enabling prosperity by facilitating growth, networking, and thought leadership in the hospitality industry worldwide. www.benchevents.com

About MEED

MEED is a remarkable senior management media brand, that encompasses subscription to the MEED Business Review publication and website, www.meed.com, as well as organising the MEED Quality Awards for Projects, AHIC and Innovation Live! MEED also works with clients on bespoke content, events, broadcast and digital offerings. MEED also has two high-value content businesses, MEED Projects and MEED Insight. MEED Projects is the Middle East's premium project tracking database and MEED Insight offers tailored research and in-depth analysis. Established in 1957, MEED, has been integral to delivering business information and news, intelligence and analysis on the Middle East economies and activities ever since. www.meed.com

About Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA)

The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) was established in May 2011 under the government of Ras Al Khaimah. In order to achieve target growth of one million visitors by the end of 2018, the authority aims to develop the emirate"s tourism infrastructure and establish Ras Al Khaimah as a world-class destination for leisure and business travel, creating sustainable investment opportunities and enhancing the quality of life for its residents. In order to achieve its goals, the RAKTDA has a government mandate to license, regulate and monitor the emirate"s tourism and hospitality industry.