Marriott International has announced the appointment of its multi-property general manager tasked with overseeing Marriott Hotel, Al Jaddaf, Marriott Executive Apartments, Al Jaddaf and Marriott Executive Apartments, Dubai Creek.
The new hire becomes the group’s first Saudi National in a multi-property general manager role in the UAE.

Saad Al-Ghamdi, known for his track record of influencing commercial transformation and growth, has been picked for the role.

Speaking of his appointment, Al-Ghamdi said: “I’m fully committed to upholding the hotels’ reputation of providing an exceptional guest experience while contributing to Marriott International’s legacy of unparalleled hospitality.”

Al-Ghamdi most recently served as complex director of sales & marketing at one of the region’s largest hotel complexes comprising of Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre, Le Meridien Fairway, Aloft and Element Al Mina, and Aloft and Element Dubai Airport.

During his two-year tenure at the 1,200 key complex, he played an integral part in the executive team and its successes. In his new role, Al-Ghamdi will initially focus on repositioning the properties to drive their commercial success while upholding the brands’ long-standing reputation of hospitality excellence.

Since joining Marriott International during his university studies, Al-Ghamdi has forged an illustrious career with the group in the Middle East. He initially honed his hospitality operations skills at the renowned Jeddah Marriott Hotel and soon discovered his passion for sales and marketing.

In 2014, Al-Ghamdi embarked on a new chapter when relocating to the United Arab Emirates as the pre-opening director of sales & marketing at the Courtyard by Marriott World Trade Center, Abu Dhabi. Two years later, he further solidified his reputation by serving as the director of sales & marketing at the Marriott Hotel Al Forsan in Abu Dhabi.

An ‘award-winning’ career
Over the years, Al-Ghamdi has been recognised by Marriott International for his commercial leadership, including being named Sales Leader of the Year within the MEA region in 2012. Later, under his guidance and leadership, the Courtyard by Marriott Abu Dhabi received the Regional Marriott Leadership Excellence Award and Regional Hotel of the Year Award. During his tenure at Marriott Al Forsan the hotel team was the recipient of numerous awards for its Sales Leadership, Financial Excellence, and Leadership Excellence, including the Chairman award for Best Sales Leader 2019.

A statement from the hotel said: “Since Saad’s joining at the halfway point of 2023, guests can expect to see new and innovative hotel experiences in the first quarter of next year. Together with the executive committee, Al-Ghamdi will spearhead the repositioning of the property complex to create an elevated guest experience evocative of Marriott International’s seal of excellence.”

Source: Hotelier Middle East