In the lead up to their participation at the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) in Dubai next week, Hala Matar Choufany, President Middle East, Africa and South Asia for HVS, and Bani Haddad, Founder & Managing Director of Aleph Hospitality caught up to discuss how third party management has evolved over the years with a focus on the Middle East and Africa.

Hala and Bani, who have known each other for 23 years, touch on the evolution of the third-party and white-label hotel management model in the region, touching on the topic from their roles in the industry as consultant and operator respectively. They discuss the major shift the industry has seen when it comes to third-party hotel management model, the main drivers behind this rise in demand - including the Covid-19 pandemic- and the benefits of the independent management model for owners.

They will be discussing this topic in more detail at FHS in Dubai next week during the panel on Day 2 of the conference on 20 September titled: "Third-Party Management On The Rise: What Hotel Owners Should Consider," which will be moderated by Rabih Feghali, Board Member, Hospitality Asset Manager"s Association MEA. They will be joined by panelists Euan McGlashan, Global Founder & CEO of Valor Hospitality Partners and David Todd, Head of Operations Middle East and Africa for IHG Hotels & Resorts.