Hospitality Business ME | 2016 Mar

ISSUE 44

MARCH 2016

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS THE RIPPLE EFFECT

ARABIC ASCENT

DRIVING DESIGN HOME

EDITOR’S LETTER

Meet you in the Middle (East)?

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cDonalds is doing it, Starbucks is doing it, Coca Cola is doing it: are you doing it? I’m talking about going glocal – adapting a global product to fit the local market.

A decade ago many companies prided themselves on offering a single, uniform option, but today the ‘cookie cutter’ concept doesn’t cut the mustard. Or fill the hotel rooms.

If hoteliers want to thrive in the Middle East’s competitive market they must give guests extra reasons to reside with them. And that means more than just promising the same memory-foam mattress in every hotel. Hotels must incorporate local touches into their property profile. It matters: 66% of respondents in a Twitter poll said that when visiting the UAE they would prefer to stay in a hotel that reflects local culture. But it isn’t just for the tourists. Localising a property sends a powerful message to residents too: it says ‘you are important to our business, important enough for us to change things to suit you.’ And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how rooms are filled and loyalty is won.

This issue is your handbook for going glocal, from management to F&B. In our Leadership 101 interview Kai Schukowski, General Manager of Kempinski Ajman, tells us how he adapted a German brand to fit a traditional UAE setting. In our design section we look at ways to give a generic build a local makeover, from traditional Moroccan lighting to soft furnishings and upholstery. In IT a heated roundtable debate gets us to the bottom of data mining – an invaluable resource for ensuring personalised, five-star service no matter whether your guest is staying in Jordan or Gibraltar. Finally, in The Pro Chef we look at the ascent of Arabic cuisine worldwide and the importance of trade as a platform for Middle Eastern F&B produce.

The GCC is the crossroads of the world: treading the path between its rich past and westerninfluenced future is never easy. But hoteliers who aspire to cover good ground in the Middle East must be willing to deviate from the trail in search of virgin terrain. Ready to leave your footprint?

Beth Burrows Editor

Surena Chande Deputy Editor

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

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MANAGEMENT Dominic De Sousa Founder

In the hot seat

Nadeem Hood Group CEO Georgina O’Hara Publishing Director

Editor Beth Burrows beth.burrows@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9167 Deputy Editor Surena Chande surena.chande@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9156

ADVERTISING Sales Manager Michael Phillips michael.phillips@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9138 Sales Coordinator Marilyn Naingue marilyn.naingue@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9103

DESIGN Art Director Sam Birouty

The Arabic ascent

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Middle Eastern food is catching on globally. We talk to Joe Barza, celebrity chef, restaurant consultant and all-round Arabic ambassador about the way ahead.

Management LEADERSHIP 101: Localisation

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In a region awash with international hotel brands, how do you customise your offering to cater to the local market? We talk localisation with Kai Schukowski, General Manager of Kempinski Ajman.

The ripple effect

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Design Driving design home

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Hotels often serve as a ‘home from home’.

Although it is important for guests to have a sense of familiarity, it is also key for properties to incorporate regional influences.

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Senior Designer Sarah Radwan Production Manager James Tharian Data Manager Rajeesh Melath

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Hotels worldwide are scrapping key cards. Is it time for the Middle East's hospitality industry to unlock the trend?

Five reasons to automate Still working off pen and paper? Maddened by manual systems? Eric Rogers, Regional Head EMEA, FCS Computer Systems, gives hoteliers five reasons to automate now.

Head Office PO Box 13700, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 (0) 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 (0) 4 447 2409

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The key to success

Technology

Printed by Printwell Printing Press

© Copyright 2016 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

Expo2020 is looming: hotel construction is ceaseless and occupancy rates are, allegedly, roaring. So, how is the UAE doing it?

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Five ways to gear up for the techy tourist In the digital age, it’s possible to simplify any task. The question is, how far can you automate a business without compromising on personalisation?

Roundtable: a data minefield Data mining - wading through rubbish or panning for gold? No matter how you view it today you need it in your arsenal for success tomorrow.

CONTENTS

Hygiene & Housekeeping

The Pro Chef

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Clean up your act We speak to Judy Sebastian from Apex Food Consultancy about how she's helping the industry scrub up their hygiene standards.

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Hygiene horrors We explore the hygiene horrors that can prove catastrophic for hotels when swept under the carpet.

The trade game With its often inhospitable terrain the Middle East is perhaps the last place you’d think of exporting food. But there are a handful of Arabic products doing decent trade abroad.

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Taste New Zealand heat one: catching the seafood crown Things went swimmingly in the first heat of the Taste New Zealand Chef of The Year Competition 2016.

Arabian bites

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Food is a common language, a great unifier and a country’s best ambassador. The global appetite for Arabic dishes is on the rise - the challenge is educating people about its vibrant and varied nature.

Ajman’s latest import

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As a child Michael Kreiling ditched woodwork lessons with the boys for cookery class with the girls. Now the Executive Chef has swapped his German homeland for Ajman’s sandy shores.

Recipe corner: a Germanic feast Chef Michael Kreiling cooks up a meaty main and indulges his sweet tooth with a wicked chocolate dessert.

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Recipe corner: culinary delights from Jumeirah Two of Jumeirah’s top chefs turn their hand to the catch of the day.

Eggs factor: Asian flavour

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We speak to Chef Peter Tseng, Head Chef of Mango Tree Dubai, about the importance of quality ingredients and the perks of being a Chef in this region.

Staying afloat

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Hotels are out and boatels are in. As the hospitality industry continues to swell with new openings smart hoteliers are sinking their assets into more mobile options.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

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IN THE HOT SEAT

Arabic ascent

Official figures are pending, but Euromonitor International estimates that the worldwide Middle-Eastern restaurant market grew 40% in the last five years. As the cuisine catches on globally we talk to Joe Barza, celebrity chef, restaurant consultant and all-round Arabic ambassador about the way ahead.

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rained by Marc Veyrat, Chicho Sultano and all the Pierres' (Pierre Pomel, Jean-Pierre Jacob and Pierre Marin), chef Joe Barza has learnt from the best. 22 years on from his first foray in the kitchen and the student has turned teacher, training up the next generation of Arabic chefs. He also owns his own culinary consultancy company, putting his enviable F&B experience to good use in the management world.

The loud and proud Lebanese says his aim is to raise Middle Eastern hospitality to a level where it can compete on the global stage. He believes the Middle Eastern movement is already underway: “as a consultant I can personally confirm the increasing demand for Lebanese restaurants

worldwide. There are more opening every month - the fact that there are almost 20 million Lebanese people living throughout the world definitely helps.”

With a global profile of his own, Barza is the perfect poster-boy for the Arabic foodie movement. He starred as head judge and cohost on the Emmy Award winning television show, Top Chef Middle East, for two consecutive years. It made him something of a household name; the title ‘celebrity chef ’ has been bandied around more than once. Regardless of whether the chef loves or loathes the attention, his media profile has given him the reach to help Arabic food make the leap from local to global. Here Barza sets out the recipe for exporting brand Arabia to the world, one mouthful at a time.

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IN THE HOT SEAT

Through your TV work you have, intentionally or otherwise, become the face of Lebanese food – how does this role sit with you? What would you like to achieve with your position?

My story began in 2000, long before my exposure on TV. That said, I cannot deny the fact that my TV work has helped build my profile. Through my position I would like to improve global knowledge of Arabic, specifically Lebanese, food to help it become the most esteemed cuisine in the world.

In terms of the gastronomical terrain of the Middle East, where does Lebanese cuisine sit? How does its profile compare to that of Emirati food, for example?

In terms of Lebanese cuisine versus Emirati food you simply cannot compare them: food is a part of the culture and identity of each country. For each citizen or chef the native cuisine is close to their heart. But specifically for my country’s food, if you just count how many successful Lebanese restaurant there are in the Arab world you will understand how popular it is.

Is Lebanese (and more generally Arabic food) on the rise globally? How can chefs and key figures in the Middle Eastern F&B scene help promote it?

I really do believe that Arab chefs can emulate and even rival the success of other recognised chefs worldwide. In recent years we have seen many international culinary events and competitions that have given Arab chefs a chance to show off their skills and culture. These events are so important – budding chefs should attend them to exchange knowledge, respect and traditions with other young professionals. This is how we have gained, and will continue to gain, the respect of the gastronomical community worldwide.

From your experience, which countries outside the Middle East are the biggest fans of Lebanese food?

To be honest, many countries around the 6

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"France, Germany and Italy have the highest demand. Lebanese and Mediterranean food is very similar; they both feature a lot of vegetables, fish, meat and spices."

IN THE HOT SEAT

world are fans of Lebanese cuisine. But France, Germany and Italy have the highest demand. Lebanese and Mediterranean food is very similar; they both feature a lot of vegetables, fish, meat and spices. I cannot pick one specific country that loves Lebanese cooking the most, but the fact that there are almost 20 million Lebanese people living throughout the world helps increase the global presence and demand for our dishes.

What has Arabic food got to offer the rest of the world?

Arabic cuisine uses unique ingredients and flavours together that are enhanced by our world famous spices. Moreover, Lebanese food is a reflection of our traditions, which is a real selling point in itself. Each region of the country has its own way of cooking the same dish. Food is big in Arabic culture – it brings family and friends together.

Is fusing traditional Arabic cuisines with other styles the best way to increase the reach of Arabic food worldwide? If not, what would you suggest instead?

Each individual chef must choose how to present their Arabic creations to convey a convincing message about the cuisine to the world. Fusion is daring: you need to know how to properly combine the right flavours to meet the expectations of the client no matter what part if the world you are in.

What is your diagnosis of the F&B scene in the Middle East at present?

I think that, for the moment, the market is saturated. The general crisis in the Middle East means it’s a step back for F&B. But the real problem is the fact that many businessmen think that opening a restaurant is an easy way of making money.

This is not the case.

What are you predicting for the Middle Eastern F&B sector for pre and post Expo 2020?

It is all about expectations. We should definitely be positive, but F&B relies on

tourism, which in turn depends on the safety and stability of a country. If we can maintain our current status I believe it will be a very good start, but we need to stay realistic.

You chose to set up your own consultancy company rather than a namesake restaurant – why? Why do we need your consultancy services more than your cooking services?

You have to work hard to build a name and a reputation in the food industry, but the sky is the limit, whether you decide to open a restaurant or work as a consultant. I chose the latter and became an international consultant opening Lebanese restaurants all over the world. But I only take on longterm projects for a minimum of one year.

It would be very easy for me to consult, provide some recipes and then leave. But this is not a long-term solution: I must make sure my consulting is effective and withstands the test of time.

Which part of the world do you think has the best practice in terms of its F&B industry? Why? I would say Asia, specifically Singapore. It has security, stability and there is still a lot to discover. Food prices are affordable and the service is, generally, great. Dubai also has a lot to offer.

What do you make of the cult of celebrity chefs taking over Dubai and the UAE? I have a lot of respect for all of them.

Through my work I meet a lot of chefs from all over the world – many are interested in coming to Dubai. It is a center of attraction, and you can promote talented new chefs here through media exposure and coverage.

Where do you stand on F&B outlets in hotels? Are hoteliers the right people to run restaurants?

A hotelier should hire the right people to run the restaurant. They can bring in big chains as sub-contractors if desired. From my own experience I know many GMs who

manage their own F&B outlets and they are doing great. Even if you do choose to sub-contract you still need to supervise things to make sure you have consistency in the service and product. It’s one of the biggest challenges.

What are your golden rules for setting up your own successful restaurant?

There are a few fundamental things you need to consider before attempting to launch a new offering: destination, identity, rent/price, décor, service, type of cuisine and the chef. Mosts important of all, you need to decide if you genuinely have the passion and determination to make it work.

What are the major challenges facing the Middle Eastern F&B industry?

The main issue is the lack of peace. The F&B industry relies on tourism, which is easily affected by political instability and safety concerns. Hygiene is also an issue; it can be difficult getting hold of good quality ingredients, which can cause health and safety risks. Finally, the price of fresh ingredients can be extremely high.

"Fusion is daring: you need to know how to properly combine the right flavours to meet the expectations of the client no matter what part if the world you are in."

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Hotel Management

"It’s important that hotels keep their service level the same. It’s the same proposition as cars.

If I buy a Ferrari, I expect the Ferrari service and feel, regardless of which specific model I choose and whether I’m in Beijing or Paris. It’s exactly the same for hotels."

Kai Schukowski , General Manager of Kempinski Ajman

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Leadership 101:

localisation In a region awash with international hotel brands, how do you customise your offering to cater to the local market? We talk localisation with Kai Schukowski, General Manager of Kempinski Ajman.

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ccording to research from California State University 74% of businesses believe it’s important to have an international presence. But in such a fiercely competitive market as hospitality, it’s not enough to just go global – you have to go ‘glocal’ too. Out are the days of regimented ‘cookie cutter’ hotels scattered across continents like monopoly pieces, and in are individualised resorts reflecting the indigenous culture and traditions.

There is strength in standardisation, no doubt. Some of the world’s most successful companies have never adapted their product for different markets – just take a look at Apple. But in the service-orientated hospitality industry standardisation is, arguably, suicide.

To use another corporate giant as a case study, McDonald’s offers a core menu of dishes in every one of its 35,000+ restaurants worldwide. But in each location you will also find additional, locally inspired choices – a ‘kiwi burger’ in New Zealand, a ‘chicken Maharaja-mac’ in India and a ‘McArabia chicken’ in the Middle East. The secret recipe for its tasty $22.75 billion annual success? Agility. The company offers the

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HOTEL MANAGEMENT

certainty of a unified product with the personalisation of the new. Even if you’re not McLovin’ it, you’ve got to admit McDonald’s has got glocal down.

Hotels need to take note. No matter whether your business is a mid-range business hotel or five-star honeymoon destination, you must take measures to localise. A guest must know where they are in the world from the moment walk in.

Choices of architecture, interior design, uniform and music all play into this.

Essentially, in an international portfolio the only thing that should stay the same are the health and safety standards.

We talk to Kai Schukowski, General Manager of Kempinski Ajman, about localisation strategies and how he is combining a German brand with a traditional Emirati setting.

How would you describe localisation? What does it involve when applied to hospitality?

Just to begin with, it’s important to mention that localisation is a particular niche and strategy. Some hotels and brands choose to follow it and others opt to impose the brand image and standards across the world. It’s two different mindsets – it’s not that one is better than the other, but there has to be a clear distinction in what you’re selling.

It goes without saying, but when you make a decision to localise you really have to embrace the local culture and adapt to wherever you are. That means service offering, the service procedures, who you have on board, architecture. They all need to come together – you can’t just do something in between.

What message does localising a hotel send to your customer?

Well for Kempinski our brand roots are in Germany, but we have an international presence. We are selling luxury European hospitality on a global stage. When we opened our first property here in Ajman 17 years ago the goal was very clear; we wanted to embrace the local culture and flavours. We

wanted to reflect them in the architecture and the service offering to our guests. We had to work with what we already had, so we took inspiration from the surroundings and worked it into our design. I think it’s a healthy balance that we’ve achieved. And the fact that our Ajman property has the highest rate of repeat stays in the company is testament to that.

Does localisation damage or sacrifice something of the brand (is there a strength in standardisation)? Or does it build brand value?

The key is to find a niche. Which market are you going after? For example, if you’re going after the GCC market in the Middle East you’d probably have to localise. But you need to know the region you’re targeting – if you went to China you’d find that their needs are quite different to the Middle East.

In terms of standardisation, it’s important that hotels keep their service level the same. For example, if I’m in a Hilton or Jumeirah or any other brand I want to know that the service standards are going to be the same regardless of where I am.

It’s the same proposition as cars. If I buy a Ferrari I expect the Ferrari service and feel, regardless of which specific model I choose

Kai Schukowski, General Manager of Kempinski Ajman

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HOTEL MANAGEMENT

and whether I’m in Beijing or Paris. It’s exactly the same for hotels. The only things that should change are other elements like the architecture or the service sequence to reflect the local culture.

How do you properly prepare for localisation?

I think before you start you have to understand the local surroundings. You can’t just go into a new market and enforce what you would like to be doing if it doesn’t match the environment. It’s also to do with the maturity of different markets. You feel sometimes that when brands launch new properties in the hot spots of Latin America, China and Africa that they haven’t done their homework. You have to understand if the market is ready for your offering. A concept may be working fantastically well in London, but that does not mean it will translate to a place in Western Africa. It may fail completely. It’s about a) knowing the market and b) gauging the maturity of that market and judging whether it’s ready for what you want to bring. It’s not a 'cookie cutter' concept.

Other than translating signage, marketing materials etc. into the local language what else does localising a hotel involve in this part of the world?

Well the first thing we notice in a hotel is the architecture. That and interior design are becoming increasingly important. I travel a lot and too many times I wake up in a hotel room and I cannot tell you the name across the top of the building or the city I am in.

There are too many cookie cutter hotels – it’s a shame and a missed opportunity. Moving forwards we have to look more closely at what is appropriate for the local market and customising things accordingly.

Secondly, hiring local staff is important.

In certain countries in the region there are quotas outlining the number of nationals you have to hire, which I think is a fantastic opportunity. We are fortunate to operate in the UAE, and we should support the country.

They’re giving us the opportunity to earn 12

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"You have to understand if the market is ready for your offering. A concept may be working well in London, but that does not mean it will translate to a place in Western Africa. It may fail completely."

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

a living here, so we should give back to the country accordingly.

At Kempinski, we have a management training program where we work intensively with Emiratis. It benefits everyone because we have a lot of local guests. If they see one of their own working in the hotel it attracts them to the property. There’s a positive relationship between nationalisation and localisation.

Talk us through the localisation of this property. How did you strike a balance between maintaining your European ethos and adapting things for an Arabic audience?

The property opened in 1998, but there was rigorous planning in place from 1994.

The corporate regional office was also established in the same property, so we had a solid infrastructure already. I believe that from the moment you step into the lobby you get a good impression of the localisation through the Arabesque touches and chandeliers. You know where you are; there is a sense of place and belonging. It starts from the lobby and carries on through the corridors and into the rooms.

I think the balance for us is in a European service level and Arabic-influenced architecture. That balance is pretty healthy.

We also have 11 F&B outlets as we do cater to a lot of European guests, so we want to offer familiar alternatives to local Emirati food. We also have Arabic food and nights, belly dancers and other things that point to the hotel’s specific location. I think if people come all the way from Europe to Ajman, they want to experience something of the culture.

Just to show how well we have integrated with the local community, 60% of our revenue comes from F&B, but 50% of our diners are locals from the neighbourhood.

They’re coming here for their shisha and Arabic food. For me, that’s confirmation that we’re doing something right.

You have properties across the Middle East – in the UAE, Saudi, Qatar and Beirut - are they all different in terms of their

localisation?

We have a small but exclusive Middle Eastern portfolio; we refer to it as a collection of individuals. We have a very heterogeneous portfolio – I think that’s the beauty of it.

Just to give you an example of how we localise from property to property, at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi we have our signature ‘lady in red’ – our lobby ambassador – dressed in a red abaya. It nicely positions the European brand icon with the Arabic location. I think it appeals to the locals too.

Tell us what you think the best/worst examples of localisation in hospitality are.

Of the top of my head, at Emirates Palace a few months ago they started one of the first Emirati restaurants in a five-star hotel in the UAE. It has been tremendously successful.

They are being consulted by an Emirati chef.

Local Emirati mamas are even coming to us to share their recipes. The locals are huge fans and the European guests are enjoying trying something truly local too. If you stay in the Emirates Palace you are unlikely to go out into the street and try something from a local cafeteria, so what we’re doing is bringing them authentic food in the comfort of the Palace.

Something that doesn’t work so well is when Western brands address guests in what is perhaps an over-familiar way, such as ‘hey dude’ or by first name. Something like that isn’t necessarily so appropriate in this country. Again, it shows how important it is to really study the local terrain.

Let’s say I want to bring an international hotel chain to a Middle Eastern country for the first time – what things should I consider in order to localise the property?

Understand the market. If you don’t have personal insight from living there or help from someone who has then you will fail.

You need to understand local regulations, what the people want etc. You may bring the

greatest concept that is a hit in London or Paris, but you need to investigate if it will work here. That’s something we see quite a lot in Saudi – hoteliers haven’t done their research properly and have failed.

It’s worth investing the time in research.

For example, we launched a new fivestar hotel in China for the first time. The research process alone took nearly seven years just to understand which marks we wanted to make.

How important is localisation in this part of the world? Is it optional or becoming mandatory?

I think there is a certain amount of localisation you have to do. Considerations such as style of dress and marking the Qibla in each room are a base level.

On the other hand, localisation has to match with the target market you’re courting. Let’s say you’re demographic is business travellers. Someone who travels for 365 days a year doesn’t necessarily care about all the little local touches. They just want to know when they wake up that the light switch is on the right hand side and the USB charger is on the left, because it needs to be the same as every other hotel they stay in. Obviously a leisure traveller would appreciate the local touches which our business traveller could do without.

That’s the beauty of the industry – no two travellers or hotels are exactly the same.

And if we as hoteliers were to act the same it would be boring.

Watch the full interview online at www.hospitalitybusinessme.com.

Tell us your thoughts on Twitter @HospitalityBME using the hashtag #Leadership101.

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Ripple effect The region’s hospitality industry has its fair share of struggles, but it continues to thrive and grow. With Expo2020 looming hotel construction is ceaseless and occupancy rates are, allegedly, roaring. So, how is the UAE doing it?

Faiek El Saadani Hotel Manager St Regis Dubai Hotel

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staggering 140,000-160,000 new rooms are planned for Dubai alone by 2020. It is by no means an easy feat. But the UAE’s hospitality industry has stepped up to the challenge; new openings for 2016 include two projects in Al Habtoor City (The Westin and W hotel), Four Seasons Abu Dhabi (Dubai’s second Four Seasons opened its doors in DIFC this month), Ibis One Central Dubai, Crowne Plaza Dubai Marina and more. Though the region has sustainable growth at the forefront of its planning, many are worried about the rapid rate at which projects are appearing... How can these new openings sustain themselves in the years leading up to Expo 2020 and beyond?

Dubai and the UAE as a whole has no shortage of luxury four and five-star hotels.

Hospitality Business Middle East explores how the hospitality industry is sustaining itself, filling rooms and avoiding collapse in what is an already overcrowded market.

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

Driving forces Though the growth in the region’s hospitality industry has been rapid – particularly after Dubai won the bid to host Expo 2020 – it seems that developers and investors are taking much more care.

Unlike many other regions, it seems the UAE’s hospitality industry is supported by a solid infrastructure..

DTCM has predicted that Dubai will attract 20 million visitors per year in the lead up to Expo 2020, with a further 25 million visiting in the 6-month period of the event itself. Of course, all of these visitors will need places to stay. Dubai, along with its surrounding emirates, has begun gearing up for this. But, with the number of hotel rooms far exceeding the current number of yearly visitors, the market is oversaturated.

So how does a hotel stand out from the abundant competition?.

With each hotel boasting decadent, luxurious offerings, it takes much more for a visitor to be persuaded to pick a property.

By 2025 millennials will make up 50% of all travellers. But millennials are notorious for their lack of loyalty. With so many offerings to choose from at increasingly competitive prices, hotels need to harness ways to attract visitors.

The region has what could be described as an eco-system, where nearby attractions and outlets drive tourists to hotels and vice versa, with hotels feeding footfall in the opposite direction. However, with developments such as Al Habtoor City it seems as though the UAE is taking this eco-system to new heights where guests will soon have everything they need – from entertainment and F&B outlets – in one complex. In keeps visitors close to the hotel at all times.

Hotels lining Jumeirah Beach Walk (and The Beach) and surrounding areas such as City Walk, Boxpark and other Meraas developments have also honed in on busy tourist areas in order to attract guests.

Additionally, there are a number of other methods the hospitality industry is utilising in order to encourage the ‘ripple effect’ of guests being driven to its hotels.

With cooperation from the government, developers and investers, the industry can stabilise and even boost the region's economy if the system works successfully.

Fairest of the-mall Dubai has a reputation for being one of the go-to global shopping destinations.

The city takes pride in its numerous mall offerings, paarticularly the world’s largest mall (Dubai Mall). Now an even bigger ‘Mall of The World’ is on the cards. The mammoth concept is set to span 1.7 million square metres in the centre of Dubai with a combination of retail, residential, office, entertainment and hospitality components.

The region struggles with outdoor offerings - they become redundant during the hot summer months. But this new concept is set to side-step the restrictions of weather by becoming the “first year-round pedestrian city in the region”.

Ahmad Bin Byat, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Dubai Holding, says, “Mall of the World is a complex, longterm and strategic project that is set to play a significant role in positioning Dubai as a global hub for tourism, in line with leadership plans including Dubai Tourism Vision 2020.”

With tourism forming a focal point for the project, these new developments are not being styled as one-off attractions for tourists and residents to visit briefly before going elsewhere. Developers are trying to ensure that visitors stay rather than stray to other outlets, hotels and areas, which shows a promising sign for hotels in the region that adhere to this model.

However, the region has already recognised its value as a shopping destination, to the extent of hotels being built attached to the malls themselves.

The Kempinski Hotel Mall of The Emirates is one example of this, attracting guests who have two clear intentions: to stay in a luxurious property and to shop. The hotel’s website advertises the mall's expansive retail offerings. There is the added benefits of Aspen Chalets overlooking Ski Dubai (another attraction for guests, particularly during the festive period), and high standards of in-room technology, including iPads and multi-media players.

This highlights the growing need for hotels to have much more than plush rooms and luxurious lobbies to entice guests.

A regional chain that is famous for fusing its properties with malls is The Address.

The brand utilises its surroundings and provides a convenient and comfortable location for tourists and residents to stay post-shopping spree.

However, it needn’t only be conjoining hotels that benefit from shopping amenities.

Many hotels in the region use their close proximity to malls as a USP; Media Rotana (located in TECOM, a mere five minutes from Mall of The Emirates) and The Palace Downtown (located near Dubai Mall) both highlight this on their websites.

Like Mall of The World, Al Habtoor City is following a similar concept whereby guests have all the amenities they need to enjoy a holiday – or staycation – in one place.

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A city within a city Al Habtoor City is set to be the first project of its kind, with an array of hospitality and entertainment offerings. The St. Regis Dubai Hotel Manager, Faiek El Saadani, said: “The recently opened St. Regis Dubai is the first hotel to open at Al Habtoor City, Dubai’s first-ever integrated urban resort comprising of three hotels and three residential towers as well a Las Vegasstyle theatre. Eventually, it will be desirably situated on the banks of the Dubai Water Canal, which is scheduled to open towards the end of 2016.”

“We are excited that The St. Regis Dubai will have a world-class entertainment venue right on its doorstep as Al Habtoor City will house the first permanent waterthemed theatre production by Dragone, the world’s leading cultural creation company. This purpose-built 30-metre high theatre will be where lights, sounds and water elements will come together to create a spectacular show,” he adds.

The project is set to attract a predicted 20,000 visitors daily and will also feature the UAE’s first indoor fully air-conditioned tennis court, restaurants lining the canal and more. El Saadani echoes the

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importance of having additional amenities conveniently located nearby, “All of this means that our location will offer a host of activities and facilities not available at one specific location anywhere else in the world. The St. Regis Dubai is just minutes away from key attractions such as the Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall. Being so close to such sites and locations is a great draw as visitors to the city want to experience it from a convenient location.”

A wave of opportunity Though the ripple effect of external

"Our location will offer a host of activities and facilities not available at one specific location anywhere else in the world."

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

attractions driving tourists to the region is a gradual process that has been well planned by each emirate’s governments, the region has holistically been creating multiple avenues to attract tourists.

There are myriad opportunities that the region has tapped into such as having scenes from blockbuster films including Furious 7, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol being shot here. Expo 2020 is another prime example where Dubai, in particular, will experience a surge in visitors, investment and hotel guests. Additionally, the region has carved out a name for itself in the wedding industry and though Dubai was previously the main attraction with couples travelling from all corners of the globe to throw an extravagant wedding ceremony at one of the city’s many lavish hotels, neighbouring Abu Dhabi is quickly growing in popularity too. In particular, many Indians have travelled to the region to tie the knot in decadent locations such as

Emirates Palace Hotel, the Waldorf Astoria Dubai and St. Regis Dubai. Becoming renowned for weddings poses a huge benefit to hotels, as not only are they paid for the venue itself but the guests also tend to stay within the same hotel often guaranteeing many rooms being filled, along with revenue for its F&B outlets.

Abu Dhabi also draws thousands of visitors every year for its F1 Grand Prix, which is held at the all-encompassing Yas Island. An island that features a theme park, water park, music venue, multiple hotels and F&B outlets that reinforce the eco-system method in the region.

The UAE is constantly expanding its worldwide reach via its aviation routes and codeshares allowing tourists from more avenues to explore the region.

The region is also a popular layover destination and as construction continues, the offerings for these passengers are set to increase. And, given the loss of vital tourism markets such as

Russia, it is crucial that the it continues to target new markets to balance this out.

The region is already using innovative methods to support and grow its hospitality industry, many of which far exceed methods being used elsewhere globally. If projects such as Al Habtoor City and Mall of The World’s proposed plans are replicated, we could one day see the region being transformed into pockets of infrastructure that connect and utilise many of the existing UAE attractions.

The region’s ripple effect that puts the hospitality industry at the epi-centre is proving to be a strong and successful model. Along with the support from the government encouraging growth in the sector, we see that hotels continue to focus on sustainable growth. It seems that competition in the region is looked upon with excitement, and developers see the chance to use innovative solutions to stand out rather than shy away from competing in such a prominent market.

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HOTEL MANAGEMENT

In the past 6 months, Emirates has introduced new routes to the following destinations Al Habtoor City to Washington D.C

to Auckland (non-stop) to Hanoi

It will feature 3 hotels

to Yangon to Taipei

to Clark

(with A380 service)

It will also have 3 residential towers

to Cebu to Zhengzhou to Prague

(with A380 service)

to Birmingham

DUBAI

(with A380 service)

AVIATION

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This large-scale project is the first of its kind in the region

to Yinchuan

It offers 1 permanent water-themed theatre production

HOTEL MANAGEMENT

ATTRACTIONS Mall of The World is set to boost the region’s tourism industry vastly The Dubai Rainforest by Damac Properties’ Akoya Oxygen

130 75K 5m There are estimated to be up to 130 hotels opening in the region this year

Market observers believe up to 75,000 hotel rooms will be introduced to the region in 2016

Dubai is expecting 15 million visitors in 2016

240K Abu Dhabi is hoping for 240,000 visitors from the UK this year

Dubai Opera

Louvre Abu Dhabi Legoland Dubai

HOTELS

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

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HOTEL MANAGEMENT

“Hotels that feature local artwork and furniture appropriate to the property and location almost always rise to the top of my favourites list.”

Christina Saull, travel blogger

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

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DESIGN

Driving design home Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate

Hotels often serve as a ‘home from home’, and though it is important for guests to have a sense of familiarity, it is also key for the properties to incorporate a regional influence.

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T

he region is bursting with international hotel brands, but their global identity alone is not enough to impress guests. Gone are the days of cookiecutter hotel rooms being acceptable. Guests now expect attention to detail whether they are staying in a mid-range budget hotel or a luxury five-star resort. With the UAE forming a hub for hundreds of nationalities, it can be easy for hotels to ignore the region’s own rich culture, but are they missing a huge opportunity to be noticed?

Travel blogger, Christina Saull think so, “hotels that feature local artwork and furniture appropriate for the property and location almost always rise to the top of my favourites list.” While cities like New York, London and Paris are steeped in centuries of history, the UAE is a mere 44 years old.

It may but young, but the country has still carved out key cultural design influences that can be seen in its paintings, woodwork, sculptures and architecture.

Before they book In a Twitter poll, 66% participants believe that when contemplating staying at international hotel brands in the UAE, local influences in design make a difference in whether they book or not. Though this is not a call for hotels such as Starwood, Hilton and InterContinental to have fully Arabianinspired interiors, guests do appreciate some touches relating to the hotel’s geographical location.

Given the habits of modern-day travellers - who allegedly refer to 10.2 sources before booking - every facet of a hotel counts. Hotel brands no longer carry the weight they once did. Instead, potential guests now scrutinise the service, location, in-room offerings and hotel design independant of the property name. Visually pleasing interiors significantly sway guests when they are searching for hotel rooms, so ensure that you provide plenty of images on your website, social media pages and on websites such as TripAdvisor and Booking.com.

DESIGN

"Throughout the interior of The St. Regis Dubai, we present a curated art collection featuring elements reflective of the UAE and its rich culture."

The St. Regis Dubai perfectly integrates Arabic culture

Interior essentials Many hotels in the region have adapted their interiors in a variety of manners. The Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai describes its rooms as having been inspired by “The 14th Century travels of Arab explorer, Ibn Battuta”. From the moment you enter the hotel, you are reminded of its regional influences with 88 Arabianinspired lanterns embellishing the high ceilings, and the rooms also continue this theme. Mashrabiya carvings adorn the walls and doors of the rooms and suites, a common regional design theme that is only growing in popularity according to Saad Moaswes, Managing Director of Bond Interiors. Also utilising Mashrabiya interiors are Renaissance Hotel, Dubai, Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl, Doha and W Doha, whether through wooden wall features or in geometric prints on walls, carpets or artwork.

Another design influence that is often laced into international hotels when incorporating regional inspiration is Arabic calligraphy. Incredibly versatile and simple to translate into multiple design aspects, there are examples of paintings, sculptures, murals and more.

While ensuring the heart of the property stays loyal to the brands rich heritage, St. Regis Dubai has innovatively merged its design trademarks with local influences.

Many of its rooms, suites and corridors display unique pieces of artwork that are inspired by the UAE, including paintings featuring Arabic calligraphy and images of the creek, dhows and sand dunes. The hotel’s General Manager, Faiek El Saadani, says, “with the opening of the original St. Regis, the founder of St. Regis Hotels, John Jacob Astor IV aimed to create an experience beyond expectation, incorporating understated elegance, great attention to detail and a design that evokes the feeling of a residential home. We have taken his vision and integrated a selection of touchpoints throughout the architecture and design of The St. Regis Dubai. Throughout the interior of The St. Regis Dubai, we present a curated art collection featuring elements reflective of the UAE and its rich culture. Each and every piece of art on display the work of UAE-based artists and was exclusively commissioned for the hotel.”

He also tells Hospitality Business Middle East, “in the main lobby, the mural by UAE based artist Roberto Raad is particularly impressive. This special painting features unique elements of the UAE, namely the Emirati man on an Arabian horse in the desert with saluki running by his side and a falcon perched on his arm. This magnificent mural is a powerful reminder of how art

connects our guests to Dubai, no matter where in the world they are visiting from. In Champagne Lounge, the art behind the bar reflects the land and sea with a central panel of pearls as an acknowledgement to the UAE’s pearl diving culture and heritage.”

However, there are other larger elements that hotels must take into account when bringing international models to the region. Though the region has a strong Western influence, Emirati culture is still very important, with many UAE nationals checking into hotels for staycations. This where the ‘home from home’ element of a hotel is of prime importance. Prayer rooms, for example, must be incorporated into properties, along with the option of private dining rooms in many of the hotel’s F&B outlets. Other regional preferences also include majlis areas, maids’ rooms, separate washrooms, segregated gyms or pools and changing rooms. In contrast to other areas of the world, hotels also have to adapt to the climate influences here with warm temperatures throughout the year. This means that designers often have to forego plush carpets for tile or marble flooring, balconies are usually a must, pools can be both inside and outside (something European hotels, for example, will struggle with) and even helipads must be taken into consideration – an unusual addition elsewhere in the world.

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DESIGN

Avoiding an identity crisis While merging local and international influences in design is important, it is also important for interior designers working on hotels to strike the perfect balance, something that many hotels here such as the St. Regis Dubai, One & Only Royal Mirage have done seamlessly..

Local art at The St. Regis Dubai

Here are some key points to keep in mind: • Do use subtle design elements such as artwork, sculptures and furnishings to tie-in the Middle Eastern/Arabian theme if your brand has an international presence.

• Do not go overboard with garish, tacky, souvenir-like additions to rooms • Do your research, dig a little deeper into the region’s heritage to try and highlight quirky and unique elements of its culture • Do not lose your own brand’s identity.

Guests should still be able to identify signature flourishes that resonate with your overall style • Do ensure that your signage includes Arabic translations. Though the UAE’s nationals are often able to converse and read in both English and Arabic, it is an essential • Do not be afraid to have a narrative that carries through your hotel, allowing you to link the region’s culture with your theme • Do take special religious occasions such as Ramadan and Eid into account with design instalments, and while many hotels here do include festive decorations for holidays such as Christmas, ensure that these are not over-the-top • Do not shy away from taking an alternative route when signifying local culture, it can be translated with anything from subtle prints on carpets and walls to having small touches such as regional-inspired signage

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W Doha

Contemporary art incorporating Arabic Calligraphy at W Doha

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DESIGN

The key to success Hotels worldwide are scrapping key cards. Is it time for the region’s hospitality industry to unlock the trend?

S

martphones: there’s little they can’t do. Though the hospitality industry’s adaption to technology has been significantly slower than other industries, it has taken heed of changing demographics and the need to catch up or get left behind.

However, with its increasing focus on maximising guest safety and convenience, the hospitality industry has continued to rapidly adopt advanced solutions that take both critical factors into account. Keeping this in mind, security access providers have begun concentrating on designing solutions that take security to the next level, while also enhancing the guest experience.

One of the most game-changing solutions introduced in recent years is Assa Abloy Hospitality Mobile Access. The innovative platform addresses the strong guest demand for instant satisfaction and self-service by allowing guests to bypass the front desk and go directly to their rooms using their own mobile device as a key. The entire process for guests is fuss-free and requires minimal extra effort, with users simply downloading a property’s mobile app allowing them to access multiple services services as well as obtaining a secure digital guestroom access.

Once installed, the app will alert guests – through on-screen notifications – about

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when they have been checked-in, assigned a room number and given a digital room key.

As a result, modern-day travellers are able to go directly to their rooms to begin enjoying their hotel experience immediately. The offering not only saves time for guests, but also staff who can utilise the time to increase efficiency in other areas and enhance guest experiences in other ways.

With the growing shift to efficient, millennial-friendly and technology-savvy hospitality opportunities, along with the need to remain competitive in a saturated market, hoteliers simply can no longer afford not to provide guests with the opportunity to engage in a self-service mobile experience.

The Hilton and Starwood groups have done just that. In 2014, Starwood made the move to keyless room access by 30,000 rooms within 150 of its hotels. Hilton Honours guests are also able to download the HHonors app, check in and choose their rooms without having to wait at a check in desk and enter their rooms using their smartphones.

In addition to offering a revolutionary alternative to guests gaining secure access to their guestrooms, the Mobile Access technology installation is relatively straightforward. While certain aspects may

DESIGN

vary depending on pre-existing hardware and third-party vendors, properties are typically able to implement Mobile Access in a relatively simple and cost-effective manner.

VingCard door locks are fully compatible with Mobile Access, for instance, and require only the addition of a small Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) board. Also required is the use of VingCard Visionline, an online access management system, so that the digital keys can be created and assigned to each guest.

While initially used as a platform that provides a more unique and memorable guestroom entry alternative, mobile access has also evolved to include some of the latest security innovations and most efficient operational benefits available to hotels today. Mobile Access works with a hotel’s property management system in order to allocate a guestroom and generate a digital key that is encrypted and as a result, is securely delivered to a guest’s smartphone.

The smartphone, in turn, places the key in a secure key vault within the hotel’s mobile app. When presented to the assigned lock, the app then transmits the encrypted key via a secure communication channel, ensuring that only those that are authorised are able receive digital key information and gain access.

As software to improve security functionality and convenience continues to evolve, so does the design of door locks themselves. One of Assa Abloy Hospitality’s latest door lock solutions is VingCard Allure, a flexible, design-centric hardware and software solution that takes hospitality’s trend towards minimalism one step further.

With VingCard Allure, all external hardware on the door is completely eliminated through the use of a sleek signage panel that adds multiple benefits, along with banishing bulky room key slots.

Additionally, the perks include a higher degree of flexibility in design, as well as the ability to add guest-facing in-room features such as ‘Do Not Disturb (DND)’ and ‘Make Up Room (MUR)’ notifications to hotel staff. This is achieved using an interactive touch panel located inside the room. An LED light on the door lock alerts staff so that guests are not disturbed unnecessarily.

As an attractive exterior panel, easily installed on the wall next to the door in

both reconstruction and new construction hotels, Allure can also be used to showcase the hotel’s logo for a personalized touch. The door lock also includes a touch doorbell, displays the room number, and notifies the guest when the door has been unlocked.

When used in conjunction with VingCard Visionline, Allure is compatible with Mobile Access and is therefore also able to provide the latest in guest check-in and check-out convenience.

As guests continue to raise the bar with what counts as a satisfactory experience, hotels and resorts must pursue services and solutions that enhance convenience (for both guests and staff), streamline operations and allow guests to interact with a property on their own terms. Properties that implement cutting-edge solutions such as Assa Abloy Hospitality Mobile Access and VingCard Allure should not only consider the implementation of these services as a way to stand out from the competition, but also as a means of ensuring continued revenue and business growth.

Tapping into new technology could open an array of doors for your property and with millennial-friendly, time-saving solutions as simple as this, it could be time to hang up traditional room keys.

Mobile access has also evolved to include some of the latest security innovations and most efficient operational benefits available to hotels today.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

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Check into the next generation of hospitality with Mobile Access.

www.assaabloyhospitality.com

ASSA ABLOY Hospitality ASSA ABLOY Hospitality, the global leader in hotel security technology, has products installed in over 42,000 properties worldwide, securing in excess of 7 million hotel rooms. ASSA ABLOY Hospitality’s comprehensive range of security and technology solutions comprises VingCard electronic locks, Elsafe in-room safes and Orion energy management systems, as well as advanced mobile access and integrated software solutions. ASSA ABLOY Hospitality has worldwide service and support in more than 166 countries.

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Hotel Management

"If you’re staying in any Starwood hotel worldwide then we can track and record your preferences and dislikes in one main database via data mining. We know what you ordered, how much money you spent and your choice of menu products."

Nigel Hattersley , Regional IT Director at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Middle East

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

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TECHNOLOGY

Five reasons to automate operations Still working off pen and paper? Maddened by manual systems? In case you’re not already a convert, Eric Rogers, Regional Head EMEA, FCS Computer Systems, gives hoteliers five reasons to automate now.

O Eric Rogers, Regional Head EMEA, FCS Computer Systems

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ver the past decade, we’ve witnessed the hospitality sector make leaps and bounds in the automation of their distribution. However, many properties still rely on manual processes to run their back of house operations, missing out on the opportunity to use technology to streamline to enhance back-of-house efficiencies and productivity.

Many hotels are still relying on manual, out-dated and clumsy processes for their more ‘administrative’ requirements. Such needs include housekeeping schedules, bell desk operations, mini-bar management,

TECHNOLOGY

"Whether deciding to put an extra toothbrush in each room, fit a power block with multiple plugs, or change suppliers due to on-going complaints, there is much information that can be extracted from an intelligent back-ofhouse management system. "

engineering and maintenance requests and accident reports. Instead of using technology these hoteliers put their trust in the manual inputting of data. Productivity is lost and there is plenty of room for error.

In such a competitive, consumer-driven market as hospitality however, hotels must pay more attention to the way back-of-house automation can improve their property’s performance. Here are five ways in hotels can use automation for sustainable success: Automation removes manual work streams and reduces duplication. Jobs can be auto-despatched to the appropriate person, confirmation recorded, time to completion set, and then confirmed on completion.

Consider, for example, a request for towels.

Typically, the guest’s call would be answered by housekeeping and written down by hand.

Once the guest hangs up, the attendant calls on another member of staff to relay the request. If the runner is unable to do the job, the attendant has to try someone else. Once someone is found we assume they will complete the task, but there is no confirmation. This wastes a great deal of

time and lacks certainty.

With an automated system, housekeeping, rostering, assigning rooms, and programming additional tasks (such as preventative maintenance checks) is logged by the system. Plus all operations can be planned for a year in advance, making resourcing much more structured and reliable.

For example, once a room has been cleaned it can be automatically classified as ‘vacant clean’ and allocated to a supervisor for inspection. All of this is done electronically, saving time, money and resources.

Automation facilitates faster guest response time, improving guest satisfaction. By funnelling all guest requests to a single source, there is no confusion or need to transfer calls to the appropriate department.

Jobs - such as engineering, maintenance, and laundry collection - can be dispatched as soon as the guest request is made. Tasks are automatically forwarded to the right person via a mobile application. You can even use the system to reallocate jobs to other members of staff. The best bit is that because all jobs are tracked the standard of a hotel’s response is measurable, and all employees are accountable.

Automation improves quality by generating data that tells a story. Automating processes means that dynamic data is continually being collected, enabling the easy identification of where operations are strong, and where they need more attention.

Whether deciding to put an extra toothbrush in each room, fit a power block with multiple plugs, or change suppliers due to on-going complaints, there is much information that can be extracted from an intelligent back-of-house management system. Hoteliers can look for and readily find operational inefficiencies. Pinpointing these pitfalls allows you to make informed choices and further enhance the quality of the guest experience.

Additionally, being able to view reporting data, allows management full visibility on how effective their team is at meeting targets and standards. This supports a more prudent focus on areas where greater effort is required. Runner job completion and housekeeping response data, for example, provide the latest information to understand

and respond to situations to ensure highest standards of delivery.

Transparency and integrity of reporting improves compliance and governance. By automating processes relating to sensitive commercial and operational information - such as accident reports and guest complaints - hotels are better equipped to appropriately respond and act, in accordance with complex and ever-changing legislation.

In the grand scheme of hotel operations it can be difficult to entirely understand each issue that arises. Duty Manager logs are important, but like with most books, it is easier to go forward than look back.

Automated systems can provide a checklist for each type of issue that arises. Each incident has its own list of actions to ensure it is correctly reported and followed up.

Having visibility of all issues allows management to quantify the cost of specific types of incidents. It is therefore easier to determine an appropriate course of action to mitigate a reoccurrence, such as training, new supplies, or clearer lines of communication.

Rich, qualitative data can increase revenue streams. By using data effectively, hoteliers can delve deep into understanding guest habits and trends. It makes customisation of a subsequent stay possible.

Analysis of data creates opportunities to up-sell targeted products and services, such as room service, laundry, minibar and spa treatments. But there can sometimes be too much data and from too many sources.

Finding a solution that can pull disparate streams of data together into a single platform allows management to analyse the value of each guest and their preferences.

It means the management team can focus their precious sales and marketing budgets towards the most pliable customers and ensure individual guest preferences are mapped out.

When choosing a hotel, guests tend to select one that matches their needs, wants and expectations. It is no wonder then that by being able to better understand guest preferences hotels can perform better.

Auotmating processes helps hotels address their target market more effectively and give guests the opportunity to increase their spend during their stay.

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TECHNOLOGY

A data minefield Data mining: wading through rubbish or panning for gold? No matter how you view it today you need it in your arsenal for success tomorrow. We talk implementation, regulations and personalisation with five industry experts.

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TECHNOLOGY

I

n the time it takes you to read this sentence approximately 120,000 searches are being made on Google. Data is exploding. There are more than 3.33 billion internet users worldwide, each leaving their own breadcrumb trail of tweets, likes and multimedia content. Over 90% of all data in the world was created in the last two years, with experts predicting that by 2020 accumulated data will total 44 trillion gigbytes. Its mind boggling. But perhaps even more perplexing is that fact that, at present, less than 0.5% of this data is being analysed and used. It’s a honeypot of information that simply isn’t being tapped into.

In the hospitality boxing ring competition between hoteliers is fierce: data mining is the best punch a champion can throw. It allows operators to capture a unique client profile, deliver a personalised experience and differentiate their offering from the rest of the market. The result? Automatically knowing whether to suggest a vegetarian special in the restaurant or a treatment for sensitive skin in the spa. No matter your objectives, don’t underestimate the power of data. Hospitality Business Middle East talks to five of the industry’s finest experts – the hotel IT director, the software supplier and the online marketing guru – about what’s on the horizon for data mining in hospitality.

How would you define data mining?

Fraidy Pinto, Regional IT Director at Carlson Rezidor, Middle East: Data capture relates to the collection of specific information that is of use to the business.

Data mining refers to the process whereby information is converted into knowledge with the objective of gaining further insight into guests needs.

Saahil Mehta, Managing Director, ResNet World: It’s about being able to find trends in data that a human mind wouldn’t be able to see. Ultimately, its computer based exploration.

Samina Rizwan, Senior Director, Oracle: To be effective data mining must be tick three different boxes. Firstly, there must be fast and agile access to data. Next, the intelligence must have the ability to use the data to predict actionable insights. Finally, there must be governmental support and

Nigel Hattersley, Regional IT Director at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Middle East

Prasanna Rupasinghe IT Director at Kempinski Mall of the Emirates

Saahil Mehta Managing Director, ResNet World

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TECHNOLOGY

adequate security in place. The rules and regulations are very important.

What is the benefit of capturing customer data and what are the various methods?

Rizwan: Data is capital – it has hugely value when handled properly. Click streams and heat maps are some of the best forms of data capture. Traditionally we have used just 20% of the data in the universe. Your data mining strategy might pick up on social media activity, but not CCTV and data from sensors etc. It means there’s a huge amount of information going to waste.

Nigel Hattersley, Regional IT Director at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Middle East: The value of data mining is being able to perform an analytical query on a specific set of data to improve the customer experience. It’s a tool to serve and build your business.

Rizwan: Serving the business is the right term – it creates actionable insights. Whatever the mining process is, must get insights to contribute to the bettering of the business.

What do you collect? It’s a difficult one reservation is made and also during checkbecause you don’t know what’s going to be in. We also try and take more information useful in the years to come. from follow up surveys and additional feedback post-stay.

What about storing the data?

Rizwan: That’s all well and good, but we Mehta: The most important thing is for storage to be cheap, vast and readily available. need to take things further. The latest technology is doing this. Some hoteliers are There is the technology out there that now using Cisco Meraki – cloud controlled does this. technology that can track the physical Rizwan: Digitisation and datafication means movement of a mac address. It uses a that we now have more data than ever before. heat map to track you around a resort: it Research actually shows that on a five minute knows when you enter an F&B outlet or basis 250 terabytes of data is created. In the past five years more data has been created than the gym. It allows marketing to become very location and time specific. But it needs over centuries. to be monitored in real time or else it is Pinto: I think one of the most important can be more of a hindrance than help. For things is that analytics and reports are being generated in record time now. It takes seconds, example, I was staying at a hotel in Amman, Jordan recently and they sent me an SMS not days. about a special dinner offer in one of their restaurants. But the restaurant was in Riyadh Do data mining practices vary across the – a completely different country. different departments of a hotel?

Hattersley: We monitor each area differently, but the process is centralised. If you’re staying How do you utilise data captured and what value does it add to your business? in a Starwood hotel then we can track and Hattersley: We use data captured in all our record your preferences and dislikes in one operations, from global reservation systems main database. We know what you ordered, to marketing etc. We look to put people in how much money you spent and your choice hotel rooms and hotel restaurants – that’s the of menu products.

Pinto: Data is generally captured at the time a value it gives us.

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Prasanna Rupasinghe, IT Director at Kempinski Mall of the Emirates: Data capture and mining allows business to upsell and maximise business. There’s a lot of information to be taken. For example, as soon as you log in to free hotel Wi-Fi through Facebook you give them a world of knowledge.

Mehta: It’s true. And you have to ask yourself what data is being taken from your files/phone records and being mined for data monetisation etc. But aside from the traditional capture methods we’re starting to see more data mining focused around ambassadorship and rewarding loyal customers who promote the business online.

Some companies have strategies whereby if you post about the brand on social media etc. you’re rewarded. Starbucks does this. It’s using more than just traditional data streams and really listening to the customer.

What about the legalities around data capture and the regulations in this region?

Rizwan: The cloud services we offer are 100% safe – we’re known as ‘unbreakable Oracle’. We’re building a new cloud data facility in Abu Dhabi. We do not share data unless it falls under data sharing for national

TECHNOLOGY

"Data mining needs to be monitored in real time or else it is can be more of a hindrance than a help. For example, I was staying at a hotel in Amman, Jordan recently and they sent me an SMS about a special dinner offer in one of their restaurants. But the restaurant was in Riyadh – a completely different country."

security purposes. Customer data cannot, by regulation, be taken outside the borders of the country. The security is there – it’s the regulations that need looking at again in this part of the world.

Hattersley: It’s an interesting one because Microsoft 365 is becoming the chosen platform for business email worldwide. But the service is hosted in the US, which means all the data is open to being mined because the regulations there are different.

Rupasinghe: Our data mining practices are in line with the legal requirements in Europe and the US. At every interaction stage the customer has the option to ‘opt out’ of giving us access to their information by using a tick box etc.

Pinto: We’re the same. CarlsonRezidor has adapted its data privacy standards based on the EU directive on privacy. It requires that personal data is kept to a minimum and only used as per the privacy policy.

Hattersley: Generally, the EU is a lot stronger than the US in terms of the integrity of its data mining/capture regulations. Here in the UAE the line is drawn in sand and the wind blows strong sometimes.

Pinto: I agree - the regulations are more

stringent in Europe. However with the Middle East IT market continuing to evolve and companies always searching for customised and more advanced solutions, I think regulations will evolve. Things will be enforced much more stringently in the Middle East moving forwards.

So is it the data security or regional regulations that need reviewing?

Rizwan: There’s a big difference between data security and regulations. I would almost say that data security is a non-issue now.

Mehta: It’s problematic because aside from government regulations, how do you stop unhappy employers internally from tampering with or selling data?

Rupasignhe: Employees have access to important pieces of personal data which they can take with them when moving across companies/brands etc. It’s not good, but it does happen.

Pinto: CarlsonRezidor’s information security program is aligned with ISO ISMS standards and the PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). The process is governed centrally and measures are put in place to continuously monitor compliance. Any breach in security must

be reported to the central IT security, as required by PCI DSS. Hattersley: What we need are mandates segregating duty. Employees who need to use data as part of their job role are the only ones who should have access to it.

What about integrating and interfacing data – does it speak the same language?

Rupasinghe: You see a lot of islands of data from different departments i.e. gym, F&B etc. You’re trying to gather different entities on one platform, so they need to interface.

This is where we’re lagging behind - other industries are interfacing much better than us. In hospitality we are adding on top of old practices, not rejuvenating existing ones.

Hattersley: Centralising the data in one property is reasonably easy. But doing this across the entire group is much more complicated. There are so many different elements at play that need integrating: PMS, CRS, CRM and maybe a loyalty programme.

These are huge data streams, but they’re not talking to each other.

Rizwan: The technology behind interfacing is actually becoming less complex. We have data warehouses where we can aggregate data from all different kinds of streams in one place. In terms of utilisation of new technology, the fastest to follow is telco and banking. Compared to other industries it’s fair to say the hospitality is falling behind in terms of adoption.

Why is hospitality flagging in implementation?

Rizwan: Hotels might be slow on the uptake, but aviation is doing better. Airlines are investing in the new technology to get to know their customers much better.

New technology and data mining gives them increased agility – they seem to recognise this.

Hattersley: But aviation and hospitality don’t share the same profile. Not many global hotel companies actually own all their properties - many are franchised out.

Airlines are different, they’re owned by one company and can predict their business activities well in advance so implementing change easier. In hotels we do not know our occupancy rates or check in and out times etc. much ahead of time. Ultimately, the HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

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TECHNOLOGY

power of revolutionising the technology is in the hands of the owners and the brand – they have to see the value of investing in data mining.

Mehta: It’s true. Also the cost of training and implementation can be very off putting to owners and operators.

Hattersley: The problem we have with data mining is ROI. Being able to ascertain the value of data is very difficult. How do we know it’s worth the investment? It’s a gamble.

So how do we move past this point?

Hattersley: Marketing managers need to be the ones to use the data, so it has to be very user friendly software. The CMO is more important now than ever: IT sits on an SLT level, which is a relatively new trend.

Rizwan: I think hospitality can start by looking to other industries. For example, an online publishing group wanted to predict and preempt their churn rates. By using a churn prediction algorithm, they used data to accurately predict churn at 92%. Their campaign impact improved by a factor of 6. They did it using Hadoop technology and data analyst specialists. In fact, I think ‘data scientist’ is going to become the hot job of the year – their work is so important.

Management need to be asking how they can create or improve a revenue stream. How can they contain revenue leakage? How can they monetise data? This is the ROI value of data mining.

Hattersley: The thought should really be: if I don’t invest in data mining what revenue will I be missing out on? Hoteliers need to consider the lost income, not how much it costs to bring the technology in.

Everyone is concerned with winning over the millennials right now… how can data mining help?

Pinto: It’s not straightforward because there’s a generation gap. If you look at social media there is a lot of personalisation, which is something we need to move towards and not away from. The younger generation expects it more and they’re not affronted by the results of data mining. The key to getting more information from the guest is keeping them engaged and staying top of mind. This might be via emails, texts or anything else.

Hattersley: The service industry has always 36

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

Samina Rizwan Senior Director, Oracle

"It’s just the tools of service that are changing: agility is what is required to make millennials loyal. They are a very churn-prone demographic. They have a 19% churn rate compared to the previous generation, which was only 10%. The power and voice of the corporation is decreasing, while the power and voice of the customer is increasing. "

Fraidy Pinto Regional IT Director at Carlson Rezidor, Middle East

been there to provide personal service data mining is an enabler to the end goal.

Some hotels are nailing it. When I stayed at the Virgin hotel in Chicago recently they checked my social media, found out what music I liked and had it playing in my room.

Rizwan: It’s just the tools of service that are changing: agility is what is required to make millennials loyal. They are a very churn-prone demographic. They have a 19% churn rate compared to the previous generation, which was only 10%. The power and voice of the corporation is decreasing, while the power and voice of the customer is increasing. Hotels need to be reacting to the customer instantly. They need to respond to negative comments online within five minutes. The loyalty is now from the hotel to the guest, not the guest to the hotel. That’s the way forwards.

Mehta: Data is your greatest asset, particularly when it comes to millennials.

The sooner hotels realise that the better.

What is the next level of data mining?

Hattersley: The service level will stay the same: we can’t stop delivering five star service. Hotels need to prioritise building

their loyalty schemes – more members means more mining.

Rupasinghe: Data mining need to be more personalised and agile.

Rizwan: The best way to maintain strong ROI is to know your customer. The nature of marketing is evolving and becoming more analytical. Data scientists are working their way into the core part of marketing team. The traditional ‘data set’ is breaking the boundaries - we need to be looking at and listening to social media to track movements.

Pinto: Going forward, I think segmentation will be a key data mining technique.

Now is the right time to review current data capture methodologies to ensure the right data is being captured, properly segmented and actioned to deliver a more customised service.

If you would like to join a future roundtable please get in touch. Beth.Burrows@ cpimediagroup.com Our thanks to the Kempinski Mall of the Emirates for hosting the roundtable and the staff at Olea restaurant for their hospitality.

naseba

HOTEL TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT 20 - 21 March 2016, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Organiser of HITEC World's largest hospitality technology show

In association with SPEAKERS MOHAMMED ALMOJEL Chairman of Tourism Committee, The Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry (RCCI)

AMINE MOUKARZEL President, Louvre Hotels Group / Golden Tulip MENA

DENIS SORIN President of Hotel Operations, Dur Hospitality

JOHN REES Senior Director of Operations MENA, Marriott

DAVID HENRY Vice President Marketing, Sales and Distribution, Accor

PARTHA MANDAL Director - Digital Marketing - South West Asia, Hyatt International

HATEM GASMI Managing Director, Auris Group of Hotels

RAMI MOUKARZEL Vice President Development and Acquisitions MENA, Louvre Hotels Group

MUHAMMAD AL-AMIR Managing Director, Riyada international Hotels & Resorts

AUSTINE JAROME Director of Purchasing, Al Khozama Management

MAAN ALOTHAIMEEN Corporate Procurement Director, Dur Hospitality

PHILIPPE HARB Chief Operating Officer, One to One Hotels and Resorts

ALI AL MOHSEN CEO, Eijad Real Estate Investments

ISMAIL ALKAMAL CEO, Nawatt

SAM ACHAMPONG General Manager, Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply MENA

PAOLO PERSICO CEO, Scent Company

OFFICIAL HOSPITALITY MAGAZINE

SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

Contact information: OLGA GAVRILOVA, Marketing Manager olgag@naseba.com, +971 4367 1383

Organised by

In partnership with

com

TECHNOLOGY

Five ways to gear up for the techy tourist In the digital age, it’s possible to simplify almost any task.

The question is how far can you mechanise a business, without compromising on personalisation in such a service driven sector such as hospitality?

Christopher Hewett Associate Director TRI Consulting

A Fosi Audi Regional Managing Director of Pool4Tool

Patrick Crosbie Managing Director of Tenacre

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quick Internet search and chat with industry experts reveals huge variations in the manner and depth to which technology is integrated into hotels.

From improving the customer acquisition process and on site experience to applying market intelligence and cost management solutions, the possibilities are endless.

One factor driving the change is the rise of millennials, otherwise known as the digital traveller. This demographic is shaping the way the travel, tourism and hospitality ecosystems operate.

In its conclusive report ‘Future Traveller Tribes 2030’, world-class technology company Amadeus defines the emergence of six new traveller personalities. Although the report is geared towards the airline and travel booking industry, it contains key takeaways for hospitality players as well.

The essence of the report sheds light on typical traveller profiles and what may appeal to them during various stages of their

journey. Using data and personal insights means hoteliers know their customer more intimately and are better equipped to cater to their needs.

In order for operators to keep in line with a traveller’s journey – all the way from ideation to post trip – they must identify areas for innovation. This includes streamlining the customer experience to reduce overall time, from check in to room service delivery.

Hotels in the Middle East have generally been slow to embrace the digital revolution.

But in recent years adoption has improved and technology is becoming major component in operations and sales and marketing. “These departments now have dedicated teams looking at the digital image of the hotel whilst operations are incorporating the latest technology to cater to the needs of the growing millennial market,” notes Christopher Hewett, Associate Director TRI Consulting.

TECHNOLOGY

Here’s our take on the top five game-changing trends to get tech-savvy for.

1

2

3

Know today’s traveller

Understand DIY culture

Leverage tech tools

Amongst millennials we see the rise of the ‘silent traveller’. These independent individuals, plan, book and manage their travel itinerary with little to no involvement from third parties or middlemen. There is also very little engagement expected throughout the journey, making it difficult for the service industry to interact. However, certain international operators are adapting to this trend by weaving technology, independence and quality service into their brand story. For example CitizenM, as referenced in a study by Digital Agency e3, offers a unique combination of services and facilities. They provide airport-inspired self check-in, free Wi-Fi and a tablet to control the blinds and lighting in every guest room.

Fosi Audi, Regional Managing Director of Pool4Tool, supply chain platform specialists, says the opportunities for performance optimization are two-fold and can be segregated into two areas: buy and sell.

Digitising the relationship on the sell side towards guests is important to stay competitive. In the same token, it is also important to digitise the relationship on the buy side. There are a number of tools and resources available including business intelligence systems, eProcurement and CRM solutions that can add tremendous value to the customer journey. Hoteliers and owners need to ensure that IT is given adequate and appropriate investment and resources and not seen as just another operational expense.

Indeed, with the current softening of the market, it is imperative to gauge areas of opportunity and improvement. Profit and loss benchmarking solutions such as HotStats can help track and monitor key competitor metrics such as RevPAR, TrevPAR, payroll etc. to give operators much needed insights into their businesses.

Who, where, why and what are just a few of the questions to ask yourself when it comes to understanding your customer. Gaining access to quality analytics will be key in 2016 as businesses dig deeper into data.

Tactics include interpreting patterns related to customer interests, income level and lifestyle choices that determine their spending habits.

Are they leisure, business or mission travellers?

Are they luxury lovers or bargain hunters?

The sharing economy has opened up a unique genre of real estate, with the likes of Airbnb and Roomorama providing quick, easy and accessible options for accommodation. These mobile offerings are putting pressure on budget hotels and hotel apartments to deliver competitive no-frills, affordably priced options that reflect an appreciation of the millennial traveller.

4

5

Go mobile

Automate sales and marketing

More consumers are booking on their mobiles. Facilitating more spontaneous travel is a trend for the future, with tailored platforms to support ease of payment, real time deals and offers and on demand services.

According to Hewett, “mobile check in is one of the biggest changes hotels are adopting. Modern travelers are now requiring greater convenience and mobile check in allows them to bypass reception and go to their room when they need.”

Predictive analytics tools are now taking personalized marketing one step further.

With the help of aggregated data hoteliers can now channel custom-made content and adverts to consumers at specific moments.

Taking sales and marketing one step further, Patrick Crosbie, Managing Director of Tenacre claims the hospitality industry is ultracompetitive. Operators struggle to cut through to tech-savvy travellers who have researched all options online before they travel.

“We know that up to 85% of all inquiries created online don’t convert into sales,” Crosbie says. This is often due to the fear of making the wrong choice, lack of knowledge of the service or the long time period between the initial inquiry and the vacation.

Automating marketing bridges the gap between advertising and making a sale.

Using ‘lead nurturing’ programmes that track each prospect’s behavior automation allows hoteliers to deliver relevant and timely content.

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Hotel Management

“Registered food safety consultancies serve as the bridge between the brand and local legislation.

There may be instances where an unbiased and experienced third party opinion may be required…and that’s where we come in.”

Judy Sebastian, consultant and trainer, Apex Food Consultants.

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

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HYGIENE&HOUSEKEEPING

Cleaning up their acts Following her informative talk at Gulfood 2016, we speak to Judy Sebastian to discover how she is helping the hospitality industry’s hygiene standards scrub up

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HYGIENE & HOUSEKEEPING

Hospitality Business Middle East recently attended the 2016 edition of the world’s largest annual food and hospitality show, Gulfood. During the jam-packed week, we were fortunate enough to attend some highly insightful and informative talks from industry leaders, restauranteurs and specialists. Among the speakers was Judy Sebastian, a consultant and trainer for Apex Food Consultants, who shared her training tips, experiences and advice for hospitality industry’s hygiene standards.

Apex Food Consultants is an award-winning food safety consultancy in the region, which delivers food safety services including in-depth training programs, support programs and aiding with the design and approval of food premises. Judy says, “In this cultural melting pot, we help people who are new to the region get familiarised with the local legislative requirements when it comes to handling food.

Additionally, we also deliver specialised food safety programs that cater to the requirements of food safety managers, executive chefs, hygiene officers and more.”

The region’s hygiene standards are highly scrutinised by Dubai Municipality, who put training as a priority. Dubai Municipality has created a ‘Food Code’ document detailing a variety of factors and guidelines, where it states, “The Person in Charge in a food establishment should ensure that all food handlers are trained to a level of food hygiene training appropriate to the type of work they undertake. After successful completion of the formal training programme, the food handlers should be competent and capable of demonstrating the skills at work.” In its guidelines, the code instructs all food handlers to be formally trained on food safety, which should be ‘obtained from a trainer approved by the department’ and encouraged by management teams. Dubai Municipality also advises periodic assessments by a person of management-level to reanalyse the training standards and also maintain records of these.

“Every food establishment should promote food safety education through ongoing training, which may include additional classroom instruction… Food handlers should participate in a refresher or updating course after one year of training or shall be retrained if deterioration in food handling practises is noticed,” it also outlines, along with highlighting that evidence on continuous

"Registered food safety consultancies serve as the bridge between the brand and local legislation. There may be instances where an unbiased third party opinion may be required, especially when it comes to legal affairs and that’s where we come in."

learning and training is required.

This is where Judy’s role is crucial in the industry, as companies like Apex Food Consultants assist with providing industries like the hospitality sector with high quality training services. However, given the multicultural nature of the region and the mixed levels of ability and education within any single premises, this often poses a challenge for consultants and trainers. Judy explains, “As a facilitator who has predominantly worked in the United Arab Emirates, my major road block has always been the linguistic and cultural barrier. Some of the participants are really talented in the kitchen, though not very skilled when it comes to effective communication.

We tweak our methods depending on the audience, though for the most part, we believe in curiosity induced learning.”

Judy has seen her fair share of hygiene shockers in her time as a consultant and trainer, having visited multiple outlets and facilities where she has even encountered finding a fly and a plaster in the same minced meat mix from a restaurant during one of her inspections. Other hygiene mistakes she also often encounters include: • The improper use of gloves during work in the kitchen and food preparation • Poor personal hygiene practises • Lack of effective management of the ice machines • Waste management areas being neglected

• Cross contamination during busy periods in the kitchen However, the hygiene expert also shares what she believes could help the hospitality industry improve its standards. Firstly, Judy believes it is vital that the gap between management tiers and bottom tiers of the work force are bridged in order to facilitate better communication and improve the morale of lower-level staff. She also encourages outlets to ensure that they provide the right facilities such as suitable locker rooms, “It is alarming to see how some food establishments forget about this tiny, yet vital detail.” Judy raised an extremely noteworthy point during her presentation at Gulfood, where she explained how chefs, nurses and waiters were often spotted on the metro by travellers. Asking how they were spotted and recognised, she pointed out something many of us do not think twice about: they are in their uniform, be it Chef Whites or wearing the food outlets logo polo top. This is a huge concern, especially for kitchen staff who may have collected multiple forms of bacteria when commuting, but it is one that is caused due to a lack of locker room facilities.

Additionally, she recommends bringing in a third party auditor to ensure that the food business is on the right track.

Explaining why it is important for hotels to utilise food hygiene consultancies, Judy tells Hospitality Business Middle East, “Registered food safety consultancies serve as the bridge between the brand and local legislation. There may be instances where an unbiased and experienced third party opinion may be required, especially when it comes to legal affairs and that’s where we come in. We help our clients to build a good due diligence system.” However, this can only be achieved with management commitment and managers striving for improvement, according to Judy, which is essential because if it is not enforced from the top then the change and development is unlikely to be seen throughout the institution.

A food hygiene mishap could prove to be fatal and costly for outlets in the region given the stringent government and municipality regulations. Therefore, with such high levels of training services on offer, it would be hazardous to avoid brushing up on your kitchen and restaurant’s food safety standards.

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HYGIENE&HOUSEKEEPING

Hygiene Horrors We explore hygiene horrors that can prove catastrophic for the hospitality industry if swept under the carpet.

Fortunately, Tatjana Ahmed, Housekeeping Manager at Grand Hyatt Dubai, is on hand to share her expertise.

No matter how efficient a hotel’s housekeeping team may be, disasters are inevitable. However, what is important is how well-equipped your team is to tackle them.

Hygiene mishaps can cause a hotel’s reputation to deteriorate rather rapidly, so it is vital that housekeepers are hotels are able to work together to solve dilemmas as quickly as possible. Hotel hygiene is of the highest importance to the Housekeeping Manager of Grand Hyatt Dubai, Tatjana Ahmed who also founded the UAE Professional Housekeepers Group in 2003 and continues to be its Chairperson. This month, we caught up with her to seek top tips for handling a host of hygiene issues.

Though the region’s hotel hygiene standards are monitored stringently, it has experienced a number of notable cases. For example, in 2009 two guests at a popular Dubai hotel claimed they contracted legionnaires’ disease during their stay. The disease is a form of bacterial pneumonia, which thrives in air conditioning and can be life threatening. While prevention is better than cure, if there is an epidemic it is essential for hotel teams to be adept with handling these situations efficiently in order to avoid permanent damage to the property’s reputation.

We look to Tatjana for top tips and suggestion to combat a selection of hygiene horrors that hotels may encounter.

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Unwanted guests Infestations occur in hotels all over the world, and according to Tatjana, they can often be easily prevented if housekeepers thoroughly check for signs of them.

“Bedbugs are biting pests that are easily spread and can ruin the reputation of a hotel in no time. Although they have never been associated with the transmission of a disease, bedbugs do cause considerable discomfort and embarrassment to their victims as well as being costly to hotels.”

Hotel rooms that have been infested with the critters must be kept out-of-service for several days – causing hotels to lose significant amounts of money – in order to ensure that all of the bugs and eggs have been removed. The housekeeping expert tells us, “Bedbugs are often found hiding in the cloth seams and folds or under buttons on items such as mattresses, upholstered furniture and cushions. They may also reside in cracks and crevices close to the bed, inside wardrobes (on clothing) and areas surrounding the bed. If you suspect an infestation, remove all bedding and check carefully for signs of the bugs, they often leave accumulations of dark brown or black

faecal stands on furniture, bedding and walls, along with blood stains on bedding.

The safest and most effective solution is to hire an experienced pest control team for bedbug extermination.”

In the instance of a cockroach infestation, Tatjana warns, “Cockroaches prefer to live and feed in the dark, therefore a cockroach is seen during the day is a possible sign of an infestation.” They may also be found hiding beneath mats, behind wallpaper and within wall cracks so Tatjana suggests that thorough checks should be regularly conducted by a professional pest control company that will also apply preventative treatments on a scheduled basis.

Additionally, Tatjana says, “Any boxes that arrive at delivery areas should be emptied immediately in order to avoid bringing pests in from outside.”

"Bedbugs do cause considerable discomfort and embarrassment to their victims as well as being costly to hotels"

HYGIENE&HOUSEKEEPING

Gruesome growth “Mould. The word itself is enough to make a person cringe,” says Tatjana. With its ability to breed everywhere from on carpets and clothing to on food and furniture, the nasty growth is a nightmare for hotels. Tatjana tells us, “Not only is it a problem that is difficult and costly to fix, but it can also produce allergens and irritants that may compromise health. The best approach is preventing it with moisture control before it’s a problem.” She advises hotels to keep an eye out for water leaks and condensation, which can be found on metal pipes, concrete walls, water tanks and windows. Tatjana explains, “Many species of mould can begin to grow from humidity, which only needs to be higher than 55%. The best way to reduce humidity is through ventilation by using exhaust fans, air conditioning and dehumidifiers, along with using a HEPA vacuum cleaner when vacuuming guests’ rooms daily.”

"Many species of mould can begin to grow from humidity, which only needs to be higher than 55%. The best way to reduce humidity is through ventilation...

Along with using a HEPA vacuum cleaner when vacuuming guests’ rooms daily."

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Hygiene hazards Guests sometimes have allergic reactions to cleaning products themselves – housekeepers really do have a hard time!

Tatjana warns, “Even products advertised as ‘green’ and ‘natural’ may contain ingredients that can cause health problems with many causing irritation to the eyes or throat.”

Ammonia and bleach are two ingredients, in particular, that housekeepers should use extremely cautiously. However, Tatjana explains that all ingredients should be analysed, “Even natural fragrances such as citrus can react to produce dangerous pollutants indoors.”

She advises housekeeping teams to read product labels thoroughly before buying them, along with opting for cleaning supplies that have reduced amounts of fragrances, irritants and flammable ingredients. The housekeeping manager says, “Hotels usually deal with international companies that provide cleaning agents such as Diversity Care or ECOLAB. When choosing cleaning agents for your premises, you will be provided with a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) stating the composition of the products and detailing any hazardous ingredients as well as first aid measures.”

Squeaky clean spas A breeding ground for bacteria, hotel spas encounter close human contact on a daily basis. Tatjana, describes why hygiene horrors can occur within spas if care is not taken, “Through humidity and warm temperatures, microorganisms will find ideal conditions for growth. One can find pathogens, germs and viruses and fungal skin infections can also be contracted.” She recommends using sanitising wipes infused with effective biocides for interim cleaning as you go.

There are three levels that Tatjana outlines: cleaning, sanitising and disinfecting. “Cleaning a surface merely removes visible dust and debris, it doesn’t remove microscopic organisms. Sanitising reduces the occurrence and growth of bacteria, viruses and fungi. However, it is important to note that this does not kill any microorganisms. That is the job of disinfectants,” Tatjana states.

Her top tips for keeping spas and changing rooms clean include ensuring that showers are cleaned and dried after every use, using high alkaline formulation cleaner, using powerful grout cleaner and having exhaust fans that operate properly in areas where steam rooms and showers are located. Tatjana also explains that it is vital for environmentally friendly products to be used in spas, which should be cleaned around the clock. Using SystemSURE plus, a hygiene monitoring system, is also recommended in spas.

Hotel Management

“With a solid industrial base of over 600 manufacturing firms, mostly small/ medium enterprises, and a diverse product range, Dubai’s food trade is making a strong pitch to be a major supplier, with a high degree of success.”

Saed Al Awadi, CEO of Dubai Exports

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

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PRO CHEF

The trade game With its often inhospitable terrain the Middle East is perhaps the last place you’d think of exporting food.

And while self-sufficiency is not yet on the cards for the region, there are a handful of Arabic products doing decent trade abroad.

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Mankind is multiplying. Fast. The UN predicts the global population will hit 9.6 billion by 2050 and that food production will need to increase by 70% to match the growth. But even if we generate enough food the crucial thing is to get it moving.

The world’s fertile land is not evenly distributed; countries listed under the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) own just 25%.

Africa, on the other hand, has great swathes of arable land but lacks the post-production infrastructure to get it from the pasture to plate without considerable wastage. We need to share the responsibility and rewards of food production.

As Dr. Ashraf Ali Mahate, Head of Export Market Intelligence at Dubai Exports, explains: “you have to trade if you want to bring deficit and surplus countries together – trade is the only solution to world security.” His message is clear and was echoed by other experts speaking at last month’s Gulfood. Yet approximately 75% of global food production never even enters the international chain of commerce. If we are to bring the global community closer to eating three square meals a day we need to set more store in trade.

In the GCC our import/export balance has

always been off. With only 1% of land fit for farming, we are cripplingly dependent on food imports (up to 90% in some parts). It would be nice to reverse the GCC’s average self-sufficiency rating from 28% to 82%, but for now our focus must be elsewhere. Given the imminent swell of inbound visitors for Dubai Expo 2020 and the Qatar world cup 2022 the GCC must prioritise strengthening its inbound trade routes, something the 90,000 strong turnout at Gulfood last month supported.

In 2013 UAE F&B imports totaled $20.7 billion; a considerable figure for a country of its size. But in the same year the Emirates also exported $13.4 billion of F&B produce - it’s easy to focus on the UAE’s dependence on other countries and forget about its growing, albeit still small, F&B exporting market. As Conor Griffin, Principal at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Middle East and Africa custom research team, explains: “The UAE’s scope to become a leading food exporter for core food commodities is very limited, due to climate, water scarcity, and agricultural infrastructure challenges. It could potentially export some niche foods, such as dates.” As Dr. Ashraf noted in his talk at Gulfood, “yes, there is definitely a huge

PRO CHEF

Dr Ashraf Head of Export Market Intelligence for Dubai Exports

Saed Al Awadi CEO of Dubai Exports

Conor Griffin Principal at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Middle East and Africa custom research team

market for UAE dates abroad, but packaging is important – they need to look the way the way that consumers want to eat them.”

And who is buying our desert dates? The Emirates biggest export partners are Japan, India, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore.

Saed Al Awadi, CEO of Dubai Exports, also points out that, “a rising middle class with high disposable incomes are creating new demand for UAE produce in Russia, CIS, African countries and the rest of the GCC.” In the first nine months of 2014 Dubai food traders exported to 162 separate places worldwide, more than any other sector.

And it’s not just our dates that are crossing skies and seas to these new destinations.

According to Dubai Exports, in 2014 the Emirates’ biggest single food export was cereals; outbound trade totalled $871 million. Cereal is actually something the UAE struggles to grow… confused?

We’ll come back to this later. Other top performers were animal/vegetable fats and oils ($855 million) and dairy products, eggs, honey and edible animal products

($568 million).

“With a solid industrial base of over 600 manufacturing firms, mostly small/medium enterprises, and a diverse product range, Dubai’s food trade is making a strong pitch to be a major supplier, with a high degree of success,” observes Al Awadi. While a share of this success comes from homegrown UAE foods – including niche products such as dates, camel’s milk and za’atar – the majority is attributable to the Emirates’ vast reexporting market. As Griffin explains, “the UAE is more important is its role as an active re-exporter of food commodities and as a potential regional food hub for the GCC.” According to the World Trade Organisation almost half of the UAE’s food imports are re-exported to the GCC and other countries in the Middle East and Africa. During a panel discussion at Gulfood Sanjay Sethi, Managing Director & CEO, Signature Agri Ventures, pointed out that, “it is a mistake to think that the UAE market is serving the UAE alone. It serves the whole region.” Griffin added that, “the Emirates HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

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PRO CHEF

is a very active re-exporter – the country forwards a lot of wheat to Iran and other GCC countries.”

Referring back to the cereals conundrum, the reason the staple is the Emirates’ biggest export is because it is a re-export. Dr. Ashraf explains, “growing staple products such as rice and wheat here is a real problem.

To date no technology is available that will allow GCC countries to grow them in a cheap and accessible way.” Aside from cereals, he pinpoints fruits and vegetables as the UAE’s other key exporting food group.

In line with Griffin’s earlier appraisal, in terms of F&B the GCC will always be import-strong and export-weak. You cannot turn sand into soil and cacti into orchards.

But that is not to detract from the work the region, led by the Emirates, is doing to promote a handful of ‘brand UAE’ products internationally. With a rapidly multiplying population to deal with and self-sufficiency problems on the ground, enhancing the country’s F&B exporting profile is not a priority. But with strong re-exports already in the bag and some prize dates in hand the potential is definitely there.

"With a solid industrial base of over 600 manufacturing firms, mostly small/medium enterprises, and a diverse product range, Dubai’s food trade is making a strong pitch to be a major supplier, with a high degree of success."

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COMING IN… UAE principal food imports (in USD thousands)

GOING OUT… 2014 UAE principal food exports (in USD thousands)

Meat 1,450,333

Fish 560,978

Meat and edible meat offal

Dairy products, eggs, honey, edible animal product

356,127

568,121

Dairy 1,412,323

Vegetables 560,978

Edible fruit, nuts,peel of citrus fruit, melons

Coffee, tea, mate and spices

239,719

324,064

Fruit & Nuts 2,093,802

Tea & Coffee 814,760

Cereals 870,997

Animal, vegetable fats and oils etc.

Cereals 1,331,264

Sugar 1,165,967

Cocoa 488,743

Beverages 1,219,715

Sugars and sugar confectionery

501,857

855,160

Cocoa and cocoa preparations

215,364

Cereal, flour, starch, milk Vegetable, fruit, nuts etc. preparations and products food preparations

274,843

268,214

PRO CHEF

Taste New Zealand Chef of The Year Competition 2016 Things went swimmingly in the seafood heat of the Taste New Zealand Chef of The Year Competition 2016. 10 chefs battled it out hoping to net the grand prize of a trip to New Zealand.

O

n Saturday 5 March, 10 talented chefs came together to battle it out for the first heat of Taste New Zealand’s Chef of The Year Competition 2016 at Top Chef Studio, Jumeirah. The seafood heat marked the beginning of the competition, with a discerning panel of judges putting chefs through their paces on the day.

Judging the heat, the panel consisted of Hospitality Business Middle East Editor, Beth Burrows, who was joined by winner of the Pro Chef of The Year at The Pro Chef Awards 2015, Ben Tobbit. Also on the panel was Francesco Guarracino, who won Seafood Chef of the Year 2015 at last year’s Pro Chef Awards and Reif Othman, the Executive Chef at Play Restaurant.

Comprising three heats (seafood, meat and pastry) split into two sessions per heat (morning and afternoon sessions with five chefs in each), the competition is formed of a mystery box challenge. Chefs are presented with a mystery box full of goodies from New Zealand suppliers, along with a range of pantry ingredients from Ripe Market.

A rundown of the rules is then given to the chefs – this super-strict competition is serious business and with the exceptional

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prize on offer, it comes as no surprise. The glorious prize is a gourmet getaway to New Zealand for the lucky winning chef, who will be given the chance experience the best of the country’s food and beverages first-hand.

After the rules were explained, chefs were eager to get started and turn the heat up in the kitchen. The moment the mystery box was opened, chefs had 30 minutes to rummage through the scrumptious ingredients inside, pick at least three mystery box items and prepare their recipes.

What was inside the seafood heat mystery box?

• 1kg of mussels and 1kg of clams from PHR Processing Limited, Omega Seafoods • 500g of fresh New Zealand Hoki fillet, 500g of single frozen Antarctic toothfish and 500g of New Zealand ling fillet from Sealord Group Limited • 1kg of Greenshell mussel stock from CSI Food Trading Limited, Greenmount Foods • 10 packets of Marcels Blinis from Van Dyck Find Foods • Anchor dairy products from Foterra Middle East With their impressive recipes written down, chefs were taken to the kitchen they would be spending the next 45 minutes rustling the dishes up.

PRO CHEF

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So who were the chefs and their creations?

Chef Muhammed Asif

Chef Johannes Hansen

Chef Oliver Fernandes

Chef Gonzalo Alberto

Chef Heu Lucas

Sous Chef, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray

Assistant Sous Chef, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai

Demi Chef de Cuisine, Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa

Head Chef, Ceviche Restaurant

Commis 2, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai

Seared tooth fish, couscous, tomato salsa and crisp chilli

Pan seared tooth fish with Cajun spice

Fried Hoki fillet with Asian vegetables, tooth fish balls, vinaigrette and coriander oil

Kiwi style ceviche with mussel stock and Hoki fillet

Pan seared tooth fish with green onion sauce, served with spicy puy lentil, carrot purée, caramelised pancakes and lotus chips

Chef Darvesh Kanojia

Chef Mohammed Raees

Chef Ajith Jose

Albert Hugh Raven

Rahil Rathod

Commis 1, Jumeirah Group

Sous Chef, Ajman Saray Luxury Collection hotel by Starwood Hotels Worldwide

Chef de Partie, Park Hyatt Hotel

Chef de Cuisine, Radisson Blu, Yas Island

Demi Chef de Partie, Radisson Blu Dubai Deira Creek

Pan seared Hoki fish with juice clams and herb potatoes

Confit olive oil, Hoki fish, warm lentils and potato with garam masala

Pan seared Hoki fillet with carrot and ginger purée, clams and butter sauce

Pan seared Hoki fillet, pomme purée, braised leaks and breaded mussels

Risotto with mussels

Fiercely competitive, the chefs utilised every second of their allocated time in the kitchen dashing from cooking stations to ovens to the pantry, sautéing, searing and sizzling the mouth-watering ingredients as they raced against the clock.

Though chefs are used to plenty of pressure, battling it out for the title of Taste New Zealand’s Chef of The Year 2016 turned the pressure up a notch for the talented competitors. As the countdown to the end of the competition was announced, the tense chefs began plating up their dishes paying meticulous attention to detail – even with trembling hands, the competitors still managed to present exceptional looking plates.

Now it was all eyes on the judges as they sampled the chefs’ creations. Judges were given the task of rating each chef ’s dish out of 56

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50 based on the creativity, use of ingredients, technique, presentation and, most importantly, the taste of the recipe. This meant that, with a panel of four judges, a total of 200 points per chef were up for grabs. The highest scoring chefs from both sessions (morning and afternoon) of the seafood heat would be invited to The Pro Chef Awards 2016 where the overall highest scoring chef will be revealed.

While chefs took time to reflect on their performances in the kitchen, the judges deliberated and scored the dishes. It was, no doubt, a tough task with the quality of dishes presented on the day and though there were critiques – cooking seafood is no easy feat – the overall standards were high.

The winner of session one was Chef Oliver Fernandes much to the delight of Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa where he is

the Demi Chef de Cuisine! The chef combined a selection of the delightful mystery box ingredients to create ‘Fried Hoki fillet with Asian vegetables, tooth fish balls, vinaigrette and coriander oil’. The tender, well-cooked fillet impressed the judges with its divine texture, while the breaded balls were a tasty addition to the dish. Beth said of the winning entry, “The sauces perfectly complemented the delicious fillet, while the fish balls were an unconventional twist on a brilliant dish.”

"Comprising three heats, the competition is a mystery box challenge... full of goodies from New Zealand suppliers."

PRO CHEF

After a gruelling afternoon session, the judges were left to scrutinise five more entries by a second set of skilled chefs. Fortunately, after intense discussions and a little more recipe sampling, the panel were able to come to a unanimous decision. The lucky winner of the second session of the seafood heat was the enthusiastic Chef Mohammed Raees, the Sous Chef at Ajman Saray Luxury Collection hotel by Starwood Hotels Worldwide. He prepared a perfect pan seared Hoki fish fillet accompanied with herbed potatoes, aromatic spices, citrusy bursts of flavour and clams.

On his win, Chef Mohammed Raees said, “It feels amazing to have won such an exciting competition. Fortunately, I am familiar with

some New Zealand seafood ingredients too as we incorporate them into our dishes at the Ajman Saray Luxury Collection hotel

by Starwood Hotels Worldwide, but it was a great opportunity to work with the ingredients to create my winning dish. I put a lot of passion into my cooking and I think the judges could see that through my dish.”

With heat one over, chefs are able to re-enter for the next two heats (meat and pastry), along with any UAE-based chefs.

If you are keen to try your hand at winning the title of Taste New Zealand’s Chef of The Year 2016, along with a trip to New Zealand, visit www.hospitalitybusinessme.com/ newzealandchef.

With Thanks to...

In association with

Pantry Sponsor

Venue Partner

Mystery Box Suppliers

Official Publication

Organiser

We would also like to congratulate the winning and participating chefs from heat one and we look forward to seeing how chefs perform at the upcoming heats. Hospitality Business Middle East and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise would also like to thank the judging panel for their time and expertise.

Visit our social media pages to see coverage from the day and keep an eye out for updates on the next heats of the competition. @HospitalityBME

Hospitality Business Middle East

@HospitalityBusinessME

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NEW ZEALAND LAUNCHES A NEW CATEGORY OF PREMIUM SEAFOOD A NEW PREMIUM NEW ZEALAND SEAFOOD PRODUCT WILL SOON JOIN GREENSHELL MUSSELS, CLAMS, SALMON AND WHITE FISH ON THE MARKET. In exciting news coming from the island nation, consumers will soon be able to choose Tiaki caught fish, and use their smart phone to see where and how it was caught. Fishing the Tiaki way replaces traditional trawl nets with modular harvesting systems, a more sustainable way of fishing producing higher quality seafood.

When fishing in-shore species; Tiaki caught fish are brought on board alive, swimming in water and in pristine condition. There is also the potential for undersized or unintended catch to be returned to the sea with a much higher survivability rate. When used to harvest deep water species such as alfonsino or hoki, the new technology is reducing the damage to the fish, limiting bruising, increasing the quality and adding significant value to the catch.

Tiaki is the latest stage in the six-year Primary Growth Partnership between the Ministry for Primary Industries and three of New Zealand’s commercial fishing companies - Sanford, Sealord and Aotearoa Fisheries – representing a combined investment of 48 million dollars.

The partnership was launched in 2012.

Ministry for Primary Industries DirectorGeneral Martyn Dunne says even though it is still being trialled, Tiaki has already demonstrated huge potential. “A lot of the industry players around the world are looking in at New Zealand and thinking this is wonderful.”

“What it is going to show to consumers in New Zealand and around the world is that we value our provenance story, we value the sustainability of our fishing stocks, and we have a story that we can tell the world of how these fish have been caught sustainably. The programme has around two years left to run, but we are seeing truly exciting progress.” Programme manager for Precision Seafood Harvesting Dave Woods says there is increasing demand from consumers to be more connected to where their food comes from and the methods used to harvest it meant the commercial fishing industry needed to transform.

“This is a changing world, people are demanding to know where their seafood comes from and they are demanding that we care for the stocks of fisheries that we fish. We have to rise to that challenge and we have to use every available technology to do that.” And that technology is not only working below the sea, Tiaki caught fish will come with its own traceability app meaning consumers can quickly find out more about where and how their fish was caught using their smartphone.

Sanford, Sealord and Aotearoa Fisheries all currently have crews fishing the Tiaki way - with a combination of deep sea and inshore fisheries - catching hoki, alfonsino, snapper, gurnard, john dory, trevally and kingfish. Tiaki caught fish will be available in limited quantities under the Tiaki brand in Auckland later this year. It has taken 10 years of New Zealand research and four years of trialing the technology on board boats to get to this point. Precision Seafood Harvesting technology was developed by Plant & Food research, a crown research institute based in Nelson, New Zealand. The team of 14 scientists, led by Alistair Jerrett, set themselves high goals in developing new ways to fish with the overall objective for PSH of improved survivability rates for unintended catch. “The best case scenario is always release at depth and that juveniles are not even brought on board. But equally important is increasing survivability rates for those that are.”

Senior scientist Suzy Black says the commercialisation project still retains a strong element of innovation and development work. “The great thing about this work is that we are learning more and more about the behaviour of fish – and it is very different from species to species.”

“With cameras on the nets we can see what is going on below the surface, and compare the number of juvenile fish coming on board the vessel with the number of fish actually interacting with the net.” “Alongside this we are working on the handling systems on board, changes to vessels and the regulations around how we fish.” Tiaki caught fish is tipped to be a big earner and marks a move by the three companies involved towards value over volume. CEO of Sealord Steve Yung says capitalising on the demand domestically and worldwide for premium seafood is important for industry.

“The bulk of New Zealand’s fish is exported so export is the lifeblood of industry here.”

“The quality of the Tiaki caught fish is really going to give us the opportunity to set New Zealand apart from the rest of the world and give us a competitive advantage, particularly in the markets of Asia.” “In terms of the resource we have in New Zealand, it’s limited. The Tiaki brand and technology will allow us to take advantage of the fact that it is a limited resource that we care for, that we catch sustainably, and that we can add value to.”

The Government set a target of doubling the value of New Zealand’s primary industry sector exports to 64 billion dollars by 2025, and it is hoped Tiaki caught fish will make a significant contribution towards that.

PRO CHEF

Arabian bites Food is a common language, a great unifier and – arguably - a country’s best ambassador.

Good food speaks when words fail. And the global appetite for Arabic dishes is on the rise.

The challenge is educating people about its vibrant and varied nature.

W

alking down the street the smell of shawarma fills the air, plumes of shisha smoke spill out from the restaurants and fresh falafel bubbles away at a street-cart on the corner. No, this is not a backstreet in Beirut. Nor is it an enclave of Deira, Dubai. This is Edgware Road in London. The area of west London has become something of a Mecca for Middle Eastern food. A hang out for resident and roaming Arabs alike, Edgware Road boasts a range of Arabic restaurants any Gulf country would be proud of. And, unlike ten years ago, similar scenes can now be found in other European countries and urban American cities.

Middle Eastern food hasn’t changed significantly over the last decade, but its profile has rocketed. Why? Chef Uwe Micheel, President of Emirates Culinary Guild, puts it down to increased international travel: “Arabs are travelling a lot for business, vacation or choosing to completely settle overseas – when they do they take the food from their home culture with them.” He rightly acknowledges their role as ambassadors of Middle Eastern food, but another important factor is inbound tourists.

For many GCC visitors, sampling the local food is high on their list of priorities.

“For many years our hotel guests have

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asked us for local Emirati food to try – for years we sent them to Lebanese or Iranian restaurants nearby, which I always felt was a bit of a shame,” says Uwe, who has plans to remedy the situation by opening Aseelah his own Emirati restaurant - in the Radisson Blu, Deira Creek later this year. In reality, tourists who become Arabic foodie fans on holiday are bolstering the global Middle Eastern F&B market as much as their western dwelling Arab counterparts.

The call for kofta and fattoush became so insistent that in 2013 UAE headquartered ‘healthy’ fast food chain JF Street Foods (originally ‘Just Falafel’) dropped down in London for business. The brand – today present eight countries worldwide - opened a branch in Covent Garden, and planned to add another 19 outlets to its UK portfolio.

Interestingly, three years on and the comwpany has now closed all of its UK outlets. A spokesperson said that, “while Middle Eastern foods are bang on trend, Just Falafel was operating in an extremely competitive market against other popular concepts and successful operators.” Despite

PRO CHEF

the chain’s premature exit from the UK, the notion that “Middle Eastern foods are bang on trend” holds true and other homegrown F&B companies are angling to succeed where JF Street Foods failed.

Wild Peeta, established in 2009, is a Dubai-based gourmet shwarma café founded by two brothers keen to promote Emirati food internationally. “We wanted to create the world’s first global shawarma brand,” says co-founder Mohamed Parham Al Awadhi. With only a single branch at present, the brothers have a way to go before they will reach their goal, but the stats are on their side. Official figures are pending, but Euromonitor International thinks that in the Middle Eastern F&B category fast food made the biggest gains between 20112016 (estimating a 73% increase).

Bolstered by the numbers, Al Awadhi is resolute that the demand for Middle Eastern cuisine is there: “if raw fish found global traction and people are lining up to pay a lot of money for it, then we can sell Middle Eastern food,” Al Awadhi claims.

Al Awadhi is resolute that the demand for Middle Eastern cuisine is there: “if raw fish found global traction and people are lining up to pay a lot of money for it, then we can sell Middle Eastern food.”

“It took a long time to bring sushi to where it is today. Middle Eastern foods need time and they will be among the leading foods in the world.” He’s got his eyes set on US shores, namely New York and San Francisco; cities with established Middle Eastern communities.

Closer to home Lebanese celebrity chef Joe Barza has been tracking the upward trajectory of Lebanese food for a while.

From his work as a restaurant consultant

he claims he can “personally confirm the increased demand for Arabic restaurants worldwide.” He pinpoints Germany and Italy as key devotees of Lebanese food. This may, in part, be due to the similar profile Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisines share: both are rich in vegetables, fish, meat and spices.

So is creating an ‘Arabterranean’ offering the best way to increase the global reach of Middle Eastern food? The experts think not. “Fusion is daring, you need to know how to combine the right flavours to meet the expectations of the clients,” says Barza.

“At this stage fusion would not be the right thing,” warns Micheel, “for now we should keep the food as authentic as possible.”

And it’s not just Arabic and Mediterranean food that needs clear delineation – both Barza and Micheel believe that the global perception of Middle Eastern cuisine needs more careful crafting.

“Europeans or Americans will not necessarily know the difference between Lebanese, Egyptian or Emirati food – I

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Uwe Micheel

If every ‘Asian’ restaurant in the West were to sell sushi, dim sum and Thai green curry people would struggle to appreciate the very different culinary identities of the East. The same is true for Arabic offerings.

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would think more that more than 50% of expats in the Gulf also do not know the difference,” states Micheel. While this lack of education may not seem like much of an issue in itself, it could cause problems when it comes to scaling Arabic food worldwide. In such an oversaturated F&B market restaurants need to have a clearly defined offering in order to stand out. If every ‘Asian’ restaurant in the West were to sell sushi, dim sum and Thai green curry people would struggle to appreciate the very different culinary identities of the East. The same is true for Arabic offerings.

“Shwarma, meze and kebabs are the most popular Middle Eastern foods,” declares Micheel, but each dish has its own history and DNA – grouping them together into one ‘Arabic’ lump detracts from their singular heritage. And how will diners ever learn? Micheel offers an apt example, “It is important to educate the customer and not sell hummus as an Emirati dish.” If Arabic food is to trend worldwide, as Peruvian did last year, it will require detail, distinction and differentiation.

But although there are areas that need to be addressed before Arabic food can be scaled up worldwide, the Middle Eastern movement has already started. “I regularly get requests to find good Arabic chefs for kitchens in other countries,” observes Micheel. He also acknowledges how important chef competitions and government-supported campaigns are to raising the profile of Arabic food. “It took ten years of workshops, competitions and promotions, and working on projects with

Joe Barza

Dubai Tourism Commerce Marketing (DTCM), to reach where we are now in Dubai,” Micheel notes. “A number of international events and competitions have allowed Arab chefs to share their skills and culture to the world – this is how we have gained the respect of the gastronomical community worldwide,” adds Barza.

The next step? Sorting out sourcing. If Arabic food is to infiltrate the global F&B industry we must have the infrastructure in place to support it. Many Middle Eastern staples - such as cous cous - are easily sourced worldwide, but certain ingredients call for specific GCC grown produce.

Za’atar, for example, is an ancient Arabic blend of spices used in many recipes that is totally unique to this part of the world.

The Middle East is a notoriously import-strong, export-weak region, but producers must find a way of improving yields if Arabic restaurants in Australia, for example, are to be as authentic as those at home. But Micheel is optimistic, “I think it will be less of a struggle to find authentic ingredients outside the GCC once there is more demand.” It is a bit of a ‘chicken and egg’ situation, but with the success of last month’s Gulfood exhibition in Dubai – hosting some 85,000 plus visitors – we’re forging the right trade links to take Arabic food to the rest of the world.

For now, London’s Edgware Road is something of an anomaly in the western F&B scene. But with commitment from chefs, clear distinction between cuisines and careful sourcing strategies we can expect the Arabic star to rise in years to come.

PRO CHEF

Ajman’s latest import As a child Michael Kreiling ditched woodwork lessons with the boys for cookery class with the girls.

Now the Executive Chef has swapped his German homeland for Ajman’s sandy shores.

We check in with affable European as he reveals his recipe for success: sourcing the right professionals and the right produce.

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PRO CHEF

"In Europe I would go to the countryside to meet the farmers. It is a big change being here. You need to create a good relationship with the suppliers and count on them that they will deliver on their promises.

If you need lovely organic tomatoes for your Italian restaurant your supplier has to pull through. "

K

reiling is fresh off the boat – he’s only been in the UAE since August. His messy mane still looks windswept from the passage, but that might be from running around managing the Kempinski Ajman’s 11 F&B outlets. Prior to joining the German chain Kreiling was Executive Chef for the Hyatt in Belgrade. But, with over 25 years of industry experience already behind him, he joined the Ajman team in pursuit of ‘more outlets, more chefs and more challenge.’

He certainly found what he was looking for. Kreiling oversees all F&B operations at the hotel, including a large catering and banqueting division. He has worked in some of Europe’s most pressurized Michelin star kitchens, but how do the challenges of sourcing, cheffing and managing in Middle East compare?

You have worked in Michelin star restaurants in Germany and Europe, but what brings you to the Middle East?

I had visited the UAE two or three times before on holiday with my wife, but I thought it wasn’t the right place for us. A few months later, back home in Germany, the Kempinski Ajman called and offered me the Executive Chef position. I thought, what are they doing offering me something in Africa?! Obviously I googled it and saw that it was in the UAE. Caroline, my wife, wished to move close to Dubai, so it was pretty much an instant decision!

How did your relationship with food begin?

The best chef I’ve met was my grandmother.

I’ve worked in one and two star Michelin restaurants, but no one can beat my Grandmother! She was just amazing – she would throw ingredients together and Pow! She’d made something incredible. I would ask her how she did it and she couldn’t even tell me… she cooked with passion, not scales. She told me to approach cooking with an open eye and an open mind.

A few years later when all the boys at school were doing woodwork and all the girls were cooking I realized I didn’t fit with my group.

In fact, I was really bad! I tried to change the status quo: I was the first guy to go into the cooking class - everyone was laughing at me, but I improved my cooking skills. Plus I had a lot of interest from the ladies… After a while everyone got jealous and wanted to cook too!

Speaking of ladies, how do you deal with working in such a male-dominated industry?

I’ve had a very mixed experience in terms of the chefs I’ve worked with. In London I only had a few ladies, then in Belgrade I only had ladies! Now I only have men. I actually believe female chefs have more passion; they’re harder workers too. You still need an Arnold Schwarzenegger type character to carry the big pots, but otherwise the ladies have the edge!

The terrain here in the UAE is obviously very different to Europe. How do you deal with sourcing fresh produce?

I spent a long time working in Europe, especially London, where I would go to the countryside to meet the farmers and sample

the products. It is a big change being here.

You need to create a good relationship with the suppliers and count on them that they will deliver on their promises. If you need lovely organic tomatoes for your Italian restaurant your supplier has to pull through.

What are the challenges of running the hotel’s 11 F&B outlets?

The number of outlets is the main reason why I signed this contract – it is the kind of challenge I am looking for. In London I had five F&B outlets, a medium-sized banqueting room and a ballroom. Here there’s more outlets, more chefs and more challenge. I think the key thing is finding the right people.

It took me a while to find an amazing Italian chef. Now I have Andrea and he’s incredible; you give him a little bit of guidance and he is away!

Our in-house ‘celebrity chef ’ is Manoj – he’s running the Indian restaurant. It’s something very special. We were also searching for our Chinese chef for a long time. Now we have all the pieces in place I can start to introduce subtle changes. But it’s important not to make too many changes at once, otherwise people feel like they’ve been doing everything wrong.

What are your predictions for the key trends in F&B for 2016?

I think we have a Latin American wave travelling across the culinary world at the moment - Peruvian cuisine is very popular.

We had the Tex Mex and sushi waves, but now we’re in the Latin stage.

Generally, I believe in things becoming more HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

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simplified. Something that will line up with that is the growth in food trucks. They’re very easy, fast and represent good value for money. The whole concept is very easy going and relaxed. Whereas in hotels or restaurants people can feel like there’s barrier – the reception staff might look you up and down and check your dress code – there’s nothing like that with food trucks. I don’t think they necessarily present a threat to hotels because if you have a good F&B offering people will always come. It depends what sort of experience the customer is looking for.

The same is true for hotel F&B offerings.

Each hotel has a different kind of client; you can’t compare our guests with those at Burj Al Arab, for example, who are happy to pay nearly three times the price for the same thing.

In terms of food presentation, I’m not a big fan of the chaffing dish, but sometimes you do need it. It depends how big the event is.

What is your signature as a chef? What would you liked to be remembered for?

When I was working in Michelin star restaurants we made Mediterranean cuisine with an Asian touch. That’s what I really love.

But I’ve also had some great experiences in London doing British dishes. After I went to Belgrade and created a modern Serbian cuisine; I put a twist on traditional dishes and modernized them.

As an Executive Chef, more than anything I would like people to think that I build good teams. Because in my position it’s not just about good cooking, it’s about management – people remember if you’ve hit your numbers or not.

But it’s also important to keep customer satisfaction high. If you come to my restaurant I want to give you the very best: I don’t want to give you three slices of truffle, I want to grate freely. Then you leave happy, but I have a problem with my finance department! So there’s a need for balance.

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‫‪ES‬‬

‫‪D‬‬

‫قامت ثالث مؤسسات تعاونية هي ‪( Chios Mastiha Growers Association‬جمعية‬ ‫مزارعي المصطكي في خيوس) و‪( Agricultural Cooperative of Kimi‬جمعية كيمي‬ ‫قامت ثالث مؤسسات تعاونية هي ‪( Chios Mastiha Growers Association‬جمعية‬ ‫التعاونية الزراعية) و‪ Mediterra S.A.‬بتوحيد جهودها وطاقاتها ومواردها الديناميكية بهدف‬ ‫مزارعي المصطكي في خيوس) و‪( Agricultural Cooperative of Kimi‬جمعية كيمي‬ ‫الترويج لمنتجاتها القيمة الشهيرة‪ Chios Mastiha :‬و‪.Kimi Figs‬‬ ‫التعاونية الزراعية) و‪ Mediterra S.A.‬بتوحيد جهودها وطاقاتها ومواردها الديناميكية بهدف‬ ‫على مدار التاريخ وهي تنتج منتجات تجمع بين الجودة والنكهة الذكية‪،‬‬ ‫الترويج لمنتجاتها القيمة الشهيرة‪ Chios Mastiha :‬و‪.Kimi Figs‬‬ ‫كما أنها تحظى بحب منتجيها ورعايتهم‪.‬‬ ‫على مدار التاريخ وهي تنتج منتجات تجمع بين الجودة والنكهة الذكية‪،‬‬ ‫كما أنها تحظى بحب منتجيها ورعايتهم‪.‬‬

‫• • ‪N‬‬

‫‪GI‬‬

‫الحدث ممول تمويالً مشتر ًكا من قبل اليونان واالتحاد األوروبي‬ ‫الحدث ممول تمويالً مشتر ًكا من قبل اليونان واالتحاد األوروبي‬

‫‪www.mastiha-fig.eu‬‬

PRO CHEF

RECIPE CORNER A Germanic feast

A Germanic feast With 11 F&B outlets to manage, Executive Chef Michael Kreiling has his work cut out. But when the German gastronomist isn’t coordinating the chefs at the Kempinski Ajman he enjoys getting back amongst the noise and chaos of the kitchen. Here are two of his favourite recipes that promise a taste of Europe in the UAE.

Tanzania chocolate mousse mille feuille, mascarpone ice cream and berries Serves 4 Tanzania chocolate mousse INGREDIENTS • 20g egg yolk • 15g sugar • 5ml water • 60g Tanzania chocolate, cacao barry 75% • 75g whipped cream, 33% fat • 20g cream, 33% fat • 1 star anise

METHOD Cook the sugar with water until it reaches 120°C. Add the mixture slowly to the egg yolk and continue whisking. Crush the star anise and cook with the cream. Keep it on the side for 5–8 minutes. Add the chocolate and star anise cream in a bowl and melt it in a water bath up to 50°C. Add 30% of the whipped cream and wait a few minutes.

Finish it with egg yolk, sugar mixture and the rest of the whipped cream. Put the chocolate mousse in the fridge.

Mascarpone ice cream INGREDIENTS • 5 egg yolks • 50g sugar • 125ml cream, 33% fat • 125ml milk • ½ vanilla pod • 150g mascarpone • Galliano liquor • Lemon zest

METHOD Add the egg yolk and sugar in a bowl and whisk over boiling water to make a sabayon.

Put the other ingredients, i.e. milk, cream, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla pod, in a separate pot and boil. Add it slowly to the egg and sugar mixture. Don’t stop whisking until it thickens (up to 84ºC). Pass it through a strainer and add mascarpone. Finish it with Galliano and freeze in the ice cream machine.

Garnish Mixed berries Crumble Fresh mint leaves

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HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

PRO CHEF

Grilled black angus beef tenderloin with truffles, Madeira gravy and carrot puree Serves 4 Meat INGREDIENTS • 800g black Angus beef tenderloin (x4 200g steak) • 20ml olive oil • 50g butter • 10g Maldon sea salt flakes • Thyme, rosemary • Salt, fresh white pepper from pepper mill

Gravy INGREDIENTS • 50ml Madeira • 200m veal glace (strong) • 40ml Perigord truffle jus • 20g Perigord truffles • 10g butter

Carrot Puree INGREDIENTS • 30g butter • 30g shallots • 120g carrot slices • 25 - 40ml chicken stock • 2 spoons whipped cream • Salt, sugar

METHOD Season the beef tenderloin with salt and pepper and fry the steaks on a pan with olive oil on a medium heat. Seal them from each side.

Place the tenderloin into the oven at 160°C for 10 – 15 minutes until it is medium-cooked.

Add thyme, rosemary, butter and keep in the oven for 2-3 more minutes.

Remove the meat from the oven and let it rest for 3-4 minutes.

Cut it into three nice slices and finish the tenderloin with Maldon sea salt flakes.

METHOD Taking the Madeira and veal glace, cook down to 150ml. Add the Perigord truffle jus and shaved Perigord truffles. Use a whisk to add the butter.

METHOD Put the shallots, carrots and butter in a small pot on a low heat. Add chicken stock and season it with salt and sugar. Cover the pot with a lid and braise. Mix the puree with a blender, add whipped cream and season.

Garnish Perigord truffle slices Confit of cherry tomatoes Mini vegetables

Watch Chef Michael create this dish online now at www.hospitalitybusinessme.com

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

69

PRO CHEF

RECIPE CORNER Culinary delights from Jumeirah

This month, we have mouthwatering recipes from two leading Jumeirah restaurants for you to try your hand at.

Chef Pravish Shetty offers a flavoursome tandoori fish recipe from Naya at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, while Chef Scott Stokes from Rivington Grill, Souk Al Bahar, shares his seared scallops recipe. Two very different and delightful palette-pleasing dishes.

Tandoori fish Serves 4 Ingredients • white fish, boneless, cleaned, cubed into four 5cm pieces • 1g carom seeds (ajwain) • 20g of ginger garlic • 30ml lemon juice • 15g green chili finely chopped • 150g hung curd • 15g ginger, finely chopped Method In a mixing bowl, add the ginger garlic paste, carom seeds, lemon juice and salt. Mix well. Add 5g of green chili. Marinate fish in this mixture and rest in a chiller for at least an hour. In another mixing bowl, take the remaining green chili, ginger and half the garlic along with the coriander and crush with the tip of your fingers. Add the curd and the mustard paste and mix well. Heat a pan and add the mustard oil. Heat the oil to smoking point and allow it to rest. Add the remaining garlic and

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HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

• 30g garlic, finely chopped • 10g fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped • 30ml mustard oil • 2g turmeric powder • 5g garam masala • 10g mustard paste • salt, to taste

cook until light brown and add the turmeric, cook for a few seconds and add this mixture to the curd. Mix well and adjust the seasoning with salt and garam masala. Marinate the fish in this again and rest for another hour. Insert skewers into fish and cook in a preheated tandoor or grill at 300C for 4-5 minutes.

Remove the skewer from the tandoor or grill, baste the fish with butter and cook again for another 2 minutes. Serve the fish hot with fresh mint chutney and onion rings.

PRO CHEF

Cauliflower nuggets Take raw cauliflower and cut into small pieces. Dust in seasoned cornflour and put into a pre-heated frying pan with hot oil or clarified butter. Cook for approximately 3 minutes until crisp, golden and cooked.

Mimosa dressing To make the mimosa dressing simply chop the tarragon and garlic and add to the liquid ingredients. Whisk together in a mixing bowl, then leave to infuse for 48 hours in an airtight container before using.

Seared scallops, cauliflower and sauce Jacqueline Serves 4 Ingredients • 12 scallops live in their shells For the cauliflower purée • 500g cauliflower • 250ml full fat milk • 250ml cooking cream • 100g unsalted butter • 1 leek • 2 sprigs thyme • 2 sprigs parsley • salt and pepper, to taste For the cauliflower nuggets • 100g cauliflower florets • 10g corn flour • salt and pepper, to taste • For the sauce Jacqueline • 1 kg carrot • 1L chicken stock For the mimosa dressing • 10g tarragon washed and sanitised • 7g garlic, peeled • 500ml extra virgin olive oil • 300ml sunflower oil • 200ml white wine vinegar • 30ml lemon juice • salt and peppercorns, to taste • 15g pea shoots to garnish • 2g chives finely chopped • salt and pepper to taste

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HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

Method Sauce Jacqueline Peel and grate the carrots and put into a heavy bottomed cooking pot. Fill up and cover with the chicken stock. Bring it the boil and reduce by half. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the carrots out and discard.

Then pour the chicken stock back into the pan. Continue to reduce until a syrupy consistency is achieved. Season to taste, remove from the heat and keep at room temperature until needed.

Cauliflower purée Prepare the cauliflower by cleaning away any leaves and discard. Rinse the cauliflower under cold water to remove and loose dirt, but do not soak. Cut into halves and remove the stalk, then cut into smaller florets, put into a pan and pour over the milk and the cream. On a chopping board, tie together the leak with the parsley and thyme to make a ‘bouquet garni’ and add this to the pan. Place on the stove and bring to the boil. Once boiled reduce the heat and simmer away for 10-15 minutes until cooked. Once cooked, remove the cauliflower from the milk and cream mixture and put into a blender. Add just enough of the cooking liquid (broth) so that the cauliflower blends easily, then slowly add the butter.

Keep blending until a smooth consistency is achieved and correct the seasoning.

Scallops Remove the scallops from their shells and discard the scallop’s innards, or alternatively buy ready-cleaned scallops. Season with a little salt and cook the scallops in pan on both sides giving them a golden colour.

While the scallops are cooking, re-heat the puree in a pan over a medium heat and put the cauliflower florets into the oven in a baking tray for 2 minutes to heat them up.

Serving Mix the peashoots with some of the finely chopped chives and mimosa dressing. Place the scallops in a row on a plate and put a handful of the peashoots and chives mix on top with some mimosa dressing.

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PRO CHEF

The eggs factor: Asian flavour

Surena Chande speaks to Chef Peter Tseng, Head Chef of Mango Tree Dubai, about the importance of quality ingredients and the perks of being a Chef in the region, before delving into his diverse fridge.

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HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

Hailing from a Hakka Chinese family who had migrated to India in the 1940s, Chef Peter Tseng has been cooking in professional kitchens in India since the age of 21 after completing culinary studies from the acclaimed Institute of Hotel Management, Kolkata in West Bengal.

His gastronomic expertise spans across multiple dining styles from speciality fine dining, to casual world cuisine, to unique Eurasian grill concepts. Peter later joined The Park Hotels, Chennai and was placed at the helm of the award-winning Thai fine dining concept Lotus, where he worked alongside Thai master Chefs and the thenExecutive Chef Willi Willson. The talented Chef later joined The Raintree hotels in Chennai as the Executive Chef and was responsible for the preopening of the awardwinning Asian stir-fry concept Chap Chay,

along with the contemporary themed buffet concept, Colony.

Chef Peter Tseng made his move to the UAE in December 2014 when he joined the Foodmark group as Head Chef for Mango Tree, a global Thai restaurant concept brand with branches in more than 7 countries. The restaurant was recognised for its spectacular Thai cuisine after winning an array of awards in the UAE. He was instrumental in evolving the culinary offerings within the restaurant and initiating in-house training and development programs. His culinary approach has reflected a touch of contemporary flair, while retaining the soul of the cuisine that binds the dish together. Exploration and experimenting with new ingredients and techniques has always been the core of his creation.

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PRO CHEF

And does this creativity extend to Chef Peter’s fridge?

Taking note of the city’s multiculturalism, Peter tells us, “Dubai is a melting pot of culture and cuisine, and one cannot be monotonous and pick one cuisine as their favourite, be it to cook or indulge in.” Good advice indeed!

The talented Chef also appreciates the variety of produce available in the region, “The quality of produce is excellent and the variety of products available in supermarkets lets you experiment with imaginative creations, but you always know that your recipe will turn out great as the quality of the ingredients are good too. I usually shop at Spinneys or at Waitrose in Dubai Mall and I am sure that most of us can agree that they stock everything you could imagine from around the world. Waitrose offers a great selection of premium produce, and though people may argue that they are expensive, I also believe that you get what you pay for!

Once in a while, I will drop by the vegetable market in Al Aweer and the fish market in Deira as I prefer it to Karama. It’s an exciting place to be, but only if you can endure the hustle and bustle of the crowd and, of course, the smell! The markets acquire produce from throughout the gulf region, which makes for excellent locally sourced ingredients. Another benefit of residing in the region is that we need not worry about the seasons as most of the products are available all year round due to the majority being imported throughout the year, be it meat from Australia, vegetables and fruits from Thailand and China or the Americas or seafood from Europe. Like they always say, you name it and we have it in Dubai!”

"Dubai is a melting pot of culture and cuisine, and one cannot be monotonous and pick one cuisine as their favourite, be it to cook or indulge in."

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HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

What’s in my fridge...

• Wagyu Beef • Sea Bream – it tastes great steamed or pan fried • Fresh whole chicken • Eggs – a breakfast saviour!

• Tiparos Fish sauce – indispensable in dishing up Thai • Salmon Fillet • Chinese preserved plums • Lurpak spreadable butter • Chinese black bean paste – excellent for stir fries • Bonne Maman orange marmalade • Danone Activia yoghurt • Smoked turkey breast – for those midday hunger pangs • Doux chicken franks • Apples

• Sliced wholemeal bread from Lulu Hypermarket • Athenos hummus • Buckwood Canadian maple syrup – the perfect pancake companion • Knorr chicken seasoning • Preserved waxberry • Lee Kum Kee Guilin chilli sauce – Chilli paste from the lesser-known Chinese cuisine • Priya ginger garlic paste • Nandos extra hot peri peri sauce -Excellent with grilled chicken • Godiva milk chocolate cocoa • Balsamic vinegar • Nutella • Heinz tomato ketchup • Tabasco • Worcestershire sauce

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‫‪Precious products of the Aegean‬‬

‫‪OF O‬‬ ‫‪R‬‬ ‫‪I‬‬ ‫‪ON‬‬ ‫‪O F ONR O F O R‬‬ ‫‪I‬‬ ‫‪ON‬‬ ‫‪O I‬‬

‫‪mastiha & fig‬‬

‫قامت ثالث مؤسسات تعاونية هي ‪Chios Mastiha Growers‬‬ ‫قامت ثالث مؤسسات تعاونية هي ‪Chios Mastiha Growers‬‬ ‫‪( Association‬جمعية مزارعي المصطكي في خيوس) و�‪Agricul‬‬ ‫و�‪Agricul‬‬ ‫‪Growers‬خيوس)‬ ‫المصطكي في‬ ‫‪( Association‬جمعية‬ ‫‪Chios Mastiha‬‬ ‫مزارعي هي‬ ‫مؤسسات تعاونية‬ ‫قامت ثالث‬ ‫‪( tural Cooperative of Kimi‬جمعية كيمي التعاونية الزراعية)‬ ‫الزراعية)‬ ‫التعاونية‬ ‫كيمي‬ ‫(جمعية‬ ‫‪tural‬‬ ‫‪Cooperative‬‬ ‫‪of Kimi‬‬ ‫‪( Association‬جمعية مزارعي المصطكي في خيوس) و�‪Agricul‬‬ ‫و‪ Mediterra S.A.‬بتوحيد جهودها وطاقاتها ومواردها الديناميكية بهدف‬ ‫الديناميكية بهدف‬ ‫‪tural‬وطاقاتها‬ ‫جهودها‬ ‫‪ Mediterra‬بتوحيد‬ ‫و‪S.A.‬‬ ‫الزراعية)‬ ‫ومواردهاالتعاونية‬ ‫(جمعية كيمي‬ ‫‪Cooperative‬‬ ‫‪of Kimi‬‬ ‫الترويج لمنتجاتها القيمة الشهيرة‪Chios Mastiha :‬‬ ‫وطاقاتها ‪Chios‬‬ ‫‪Mastiha‬‬ ‫الشهيرة‪:‬‬ ‫و‪S.A.‬لمنتجاتها‬ ‫الترويج‬ ‫بهدف‬ ‫ومواردها‬ ‫جهودها‬ ‫القيمةبتوحيد‬ ‫‪Mediterra‬‬ ‫‪G N AT‬‬ ‫الديناميكية‪I‬‬ ‫‪ES‬‬ ‫و‪ - Kimi Figs‬على مدار التاريخ وهي تنتج منتجات‬ ‫‪D E S I G NIAT‬‬ ‫‪I Chios‬‬ ‫منتجات‬ ‫الشهيرة‪:‬وهي تنتج‬ ‫القيمة التاريخ‬ ‫على مدار‬ ‫‪- Kimi‬‬ ‫و‪Figs‬‬ ‫‪Mastiha‬‬ ‫لمنتجاتها‬ ‫الترويج‬ ‫‪D‬‬ ‫تجمع بين الجودة والنكهة الذكية كما أنها تحظى بحب‬ ‫‪I G N AT‬‬ ‫‪S‬‬ ‫‪E‬‬ ‫تنتج بحب‬ ‫تحظى‬ ‫التاريخأنها‬ ‫الذكية كما‬ ‫تجمع بين‬ ‫‪I‬‬ ‫منتجات‬ ‫وهي‬ ‫والنكهةمدار‬ ‫الجودة ‪ -‬على‬ ‫و‪Kimi Figs‬‬ ‫‪D‬‬ ‫منتجيها ورعايتهم‪ .‬يحمل كالهما تسجيل منتجات ذات‬ ‫تحظىذات‬ ‫منتجات‬ ‫كالهما‬ ‫الجودةيحمل‬ ‫ورعايتهم‪.‬‬ ‫منتجيها‬ ‫بحب‬ ‫تسجيلأنها‬ ‫الذكية كما‬ ‫والنكهة‬ ‫تجمع بين‬ ‫"تسمية منشأ محمية" من قبل االتحاد األوروبي‪.‬‬ ‫األوروبي‪.‬‬ ‫ورعايتهم‪.‬من‬ ‫منشأ محمية"‬ ‫"تسمية‬ ‫منتجات ذات‬ ‫االتحاد تسجيل‬ ‫قبل كالهما‬ ‫يحمل‬ ‫منتجيها‬ ‫الدولية حيث يروج‬ ‫المعارض‬ ‫محمية"الفريدة‬ ‫المنتجات‬ ‫تقدم‬ ‫قبلفياالتحاد‬ ‫هذهمنشأ‬ ‫"تسمية‬ ‫األوروبي‪ .‬حيث يروج‬ ‫المعارض الدولية‬ ‫من في‬ ‫المنتجات الفريدة‬ ‫تقدم هذه‬ ‫لها من خالل اإلعالنات التلفزيونية والمطبوعة باإلضافة إلى أنشطة ذات‬ ‫يروجأنشطة ذات‬ ‫باإلضافة إلى‬ ‫والمطبوعة‬ ‫التلفزيونية‬ ‫اإلعالنات‬ ‫الدولية حيث‬ ‫المعارض‬ ‫الفريدة في‬ ‫خاللالمنتجات‬ ‫من هذه‬ ‫لهاتقدم‬ ‫صلة تقام في ‪ 5‬أسواق مختلفة هي‪ :‬تركيا والسعودية واإلمارات وروسيا‬ ‫والسعودية‬ ‫التلفزيونيةتركيا‬ ‫مختلفة هي‪:‬‬ ‫خالل‪ 5‬أسواق‬ ‫تقام في‬ ‫صلة‬ ‫وروسياذات‬ ‫واإلماراتأنشطة‬ ‫باإلضافة إلى‬ ‫والمطبوعة‬ ‫اإلعالنات‬ ‫لها من‬ ‫وبيالروسيا‪.‬‬ ‫وبيالروسيا‪.‬‬ ‫تقام في ‪ 5‬أسواق مختلفة هي‪ :‬تركيا والسعودية واإلمارات وروسيا‬ ‫صلة‬ ‫وبيالروسيا‪.‬‬

‫‪Chios‬‬ ‫‪ChiosMastiha‬‬ ‫‪Mastiha‬‬ ‫‪Kimi‬‬ ‫‪Figs‬‬ ‫خصائصه‬ ‫في‬ ‫وتميزه‬ ‫تفرده‬ ‫ويكمن‬ ‫خيوس‬ ‫في‬ ‫إال‬ ‫المصطكي‬ ‫إنتاج‬ ‫ال يتم‬ ‫المصطكي إال في خيوس ويكمن تفرده وتميزه في خصائصه ‪Kimi Figs‬‬ ‫‪Chios Mastiha‬‬ ‫ال يتم إنتاج‬ ‫‪Kimi‬هو منتج فريد يتم إنتاجه حصريًا في كيمي إيفيا‪ ،‬من‬ ‫‪KimiFigs‬‬ ‫العالجية الفريدة ورائحته المميزة مما حقق له الشعبية والشهرة منذ ‪fig‬‬ ‫‪ Kimi‬هو منتج فريد يتم إنتاجه حصريًا في كيمي إيفيا‪ ،‬من‬ ‫خصائصه ‪fig‬‬ ‫والشهرة منذ‬ ‫الشعبية‬ ‫ويكمن له‬ ‫مما حقق‬ ‫المميزة‬ ‫الفريدة‬ ‫وتميزه في‬ ‫تفرده‬ ‫خيوس‬ ‫ورائحتهإال في‬ ‫المصطكي‬ ‫العالجيةإنتاج‬ ‫ال يتم‬

‫‪OT‬‬

‫‪N • • PR‬‬

‫‪I‬‬

‫‪OF OR‬‬

‫‪ECTED‬‬

‫‪ON‬‬

‫‪ 25000‬شجرة من أشجار التين المحلية المتنوعة‪.‬‬ ‫أزمنة قديمة حينما تم االعتراف بفوائده الصحية على نطاق واسع‪.‬‬ ‫التينيتمالمحلية‬ ‫الشعبية واسع‪.‬‬ ‫على نطاق‬ ‫االعتراف‬ ‫قديمة حينما‬ ‫أزمنة‬ ‫المتنوعة‪ .‬في كيمي إيفيا‪ ،‬من‬ ‫إنتاجه حصريًا‬ ‫أشجارفريد‬ ‫شجرةهومن منتج‬ ‫‪Kimi25000‬‬ ‫والشهرة منذ ‪fig‬‬ ‫الصحية له‬ ‫بفوائدهمما حقق‬ ‫المميزة‬ ‫الفريدة تمورائحته‬ ‫العالجية‬ ‫‪I G N AT‬‬ ‫‪S‬‬ ‫‪E‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫‪I‬‬ ‫تفرده في ‪D‬‬ ‫طريقة خاصة في‬ ‫المتنوعة‬ ‫المحلية‬ ‫التين‬ ‫خصائصمنأشجار‬ ‫ومتعمق في تتطلب‬ ‫علىمحفور‬ ‫الصحيةإنه‬ ‫المتعددة حيث‬ ‫تم استخداماته‬ ‫أزمنةيكمن‬ ‫كما‬ ‫المتنوعة‪.‬‬ ‫المحلية‬ ‫التين‬ ‫أشجار‬ ‫‪25000‬‬ ‫نطاق‬ ‫قديمة‬ ‫هذه ً‬ ‫طريقة خاصة في‬ ‫المتنوعة هذه‬ ‫المحلية‬ ‫التين‬ ‫شجرةأشجار‬ ‫خصائص‬ ‫واسع‪.‬في تتطلب‬ ‫ومتعمق‬ ‫إنه محفور‬ ‫بفوائده حيث‬ ‫االعترافالمتعددة‬ ‫حينما استخداماته‬ ‫تفرده في‬ ‫كما يكمن‬ ‫إنتاج التين وتجفيفه‪ .‬ال تواجه شجرة التين في كيمي أعدا ًء ًطبيعية كثيرة‬ ‫ثقافة شعوب وحضارات مختلفة وبخاصة منطقة شرق المتوسط‪.‬‬ ‫طبيعية‬ ‫التين في‬ ‫شجرة‬ ‫وتجفيفه‪ .‬ال‬ ‫ومتعمق في إنتاج‬ ‫المتوسط‪.‬‬ ‫المتعددةمنطقة‬ ‫استخداماتهوبخاصة‬ ‫وحضارات مختلفة‬ ‫ثقافة‬ ‫كثيرةفي‬ ‫خاصة‬ ‫أعدا ًءطريقة‬ ‫كيمي هذه‬ ‫المتنوعة‬ ‫المحلية‬ ‫تواجهالتين‬ ‫أشجار‬ ‫التينخصائص‬ ‫تتطلب‬ ‫شرقمحفور‬ ‫حيث إنه‬ ‫شعوب تفرده في‬ ‫كما يكمن‬ ‫المصطكي (في شكله الطبيعي) عبارة عن عصارة راتنجية مستخلصة ومن ثم ال تحتاج إلى أساليب زراعية خاصة أو رعاية خاصة‪ .‬فهي ال‬ ‫فهي ال‬ ‫خاصة‪.‬‬ ‫تواجهزراعية‬ ‫أساليب‬ ‫تحتاج إلى‬ ‫إنتاج ال‬ ‫مستخلصة ومن ثم‬ ‫كثيرة‬ ‫طبيعية‬ ‫رعايةأعدا ًء‬ ‫خاصةفيأوكيمي‬ ‫شجرة التين‬ ‫وتجفيفه‪ .‬ال‬ ‫التين‬ ‫المتوسط‪.‬‬ ‫عصارةشرق‬ ‫وبخاصة منطقة‬ ‫وحضارات‬ ‫شعوب‬ ‫ثقافة‬ ‫راتنجية‬ ‫مختلفةعبارة عن‬ ‫الطبيعي)‬ ‫(في شكله‬ ‫المصطكي‬ ‫ووسط تتعرض إلى الرش وفي الغالب ال تتم معالجة التربة إال بالمخصبات‬ ‫من جذوع وفروع شجرة المصطكي ويأتي في ثالثة أنواع‪ :‬كبير‬ ‫التربة‬ ‫الغالب ال تتم‬ ‫بالمخصبات ال‬ ‫إال خاصة‪ .‬فهي‬ ‫رعاية‬ ‫معالجة أو‬ ‫زراعية خاصة‬ ‫وفيأساليب‬ ‫الرش إلى‬ ‫إلى تحتاج‬ ‫تتعرضثم ال‬ ‫ومن‬ ‫كبير ووسط‬ ‫عصارةأنواع‪:‬‬ ‫في ثالثة‬ ‫وفروع‬ ‫من جذوع‬ ‫راتنجية‬ ‫ويأتيعن‬ ‫المصطكيعبارة‬ ‫شجرة الطبيعي)‬ ‫(في شكله‬ ‫المصطكي‬ ‫مستخلصة العضوية‪.‬‬ ‫وصغير‪.‬‬ ‫العضوية‪.‬‬ ‫(جمعيةمعالجة التربة إال بالمخصبات‬ ‫‪ Chios‬ال تتم‬ ‫وفي الغالب‬ ‫الرش‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫تتعرض‬ ‫‪Mastiha Growers Association‬‬ ‫ثالثةهي‬ ‫تعاونية‬ ‫مؤسسات‬ ‫قامت ثالث‬ ‫وصغير‪.‬‬ ‫أنواع‪ :‬كبير ووسط‬ ‫ويأتي في‬ ‫المصطكي‬ ‫جذوع وفروع شجرة‬ ‫من‬ ‫العضوية‪.‬‬ ‫منتجات‬ ‫وصغير‪ Chios.‬أشهر‬ ‫‪gum‬‬ ‫المصطكي في خيوس) و‪( Agricultural Cooperative of Kimi‬جمعية كيمي‬ ‫مزارعي‬ ‫‪ Chios gum‬أشهر منتجات‬ ‫إنتاجه‬ ‫المصطكي ويرجع‬ ‫الزراعية) و‪ Mediterra S.A.‬بتوحيد جهودها وطاقاتها ومواردها الديناميكية بهدف‬ ‫التعاونية‬ ‫إنتاجه‬ ‫منتجات‬ ‫ويرجعأشهر‬ ‫المصطكي‪Chios‬‬ ‫‪gum‬‬ ‫‪.1958‬‬ ‫عام‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫‪.1958‬ويرجع إنتاجه الترويج لمنتجاتها القيمة الشهيرة‪ Chios Mastiha :‬و‪.Kimi Figs‬‬ ‫إلى عام‬ ‫المصطكي‬ ‫‪Chios Mastic‬‬ ‫وأخيرً ا‬ ‫عام‬ ‫على مدار التاريخ وهي تنتج منتجات تجمع بين الجودة والنكهة الذكية‪،‬‬ ‫وأخيرً‬ ‫‪Chios.1958‬‬ ‫‪Mastic‬‬ ‫إلى ا‬ ‫الحصول‬ ‫يتم‬ ‫الذي‬ ‫‪Oil‬‬ ‫كما أنها تحظى بحب منتجيها ورعايتهم‪.‬‬ ‫الحصول‬ ‫الذي يتم‬ ‫‪Chios‬‬ ‫‪Mastic‬‬ ‫‪Oil‬وأخيرً ا‬ ‫عليه من خالل عملية تقطير‬ ‫عملية تقطير‬ ‫عليه‬ ‫الحصول‬ ‫خالل يتم‬ ‫‪Oil‬من الذي‬ ‫بخار المصطكى الطبيعي‪.‬‬ ‫الطبيعي‪.‬‬ ‫بخار‬ ‫المصطكىعملية تقطير‬ ‫عليه من خالل‬ ‫منتج طبيعي ‪ %100‬يحتوي على‬ ‫على‬ ‫‪ %100‬يحتوي‬ ‫بخارطبيعي‬ ‫منتج‬ ‫الطبيعي‪.‬‬ ‫المصطكى‬ ‫مجموعة فريدة من المكونات العالجية‬ ‫العالجية‬ ‫فريدة من‬ ‫المكونات على‬ ‫‪ %100‬يحتوي‬ ‫مجموعةطبيعي‬ ‫منتج‬ ‫والعطرية‪.‬‬ ‫والعطرية‪.‬‬ ‫مجموعة فريدة من المكونات العالجية‬ ‫والعطرية‪.‬‬

‫منتجات قيمة وفريدة‬

‫‪GI‬‬

‫الحدث ممول تمويالً مشتر ًكا من قبل اليونان واالتحاد األوروبي‬

‫‪www.mastiha-fig.eu‬‬

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- The French natural sparkling mineral water Famous for its elegantly-shaped green bottle, Perrier is the ultimate refreshment to quench all thirsts.

It is in fact an extraordinary addition to HORECA Trade’s beverage portfolio.

Raise a glass to natural refreshment!

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PRO CHEF

Staying afloat Hotels are out and boatels are in. As the hospitality industry continues to swell with new openings smart hoteliers are sinking their assets into more mobile options.

Lady Teal is a charming boutique hotel; it offers spacious double beds, satellite TV and freshly cooked four course dinners.

And it’s on water. The five-star rated ‘boatel’ has been chugging up and down Yorkshire’s canals for years, offering unconventional accommodation to visitors of the North of England. Hopping across the channel, France has a strong selection of houseboat hotels and in arty Amsterdam kooky canalboats are all the rage.

It sounds like a Eurocentric craze but, casting the net further afield, New Zealand has boatels offering a floating tour of ‘Lord of the Rings’ filming territory too. And in Kerala, India, the backwaters are buzzing with barges. The majority of canal hotels are 80

HOSPITALITY BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST

sold as quirky alternatives to the traditional holiday hotel, but some ‘floateliers’ are pushing the boat out even further. The Away2Stay canal hotel in the heart of Birmingham is positioning itself as a cheap business hotel in the heart of the city. Its novel approach – although we’re not sure what their business center is like…

The question is, would the concept sink or swim in the Middle East? Dubai’s boatshaped Burj Al Arab hotel is world famous, but we’ve yet to get anything actually in the water. Well, that’s not quite true. Unveiled in August 2015, Al Jawhara Marines is the emirate’s first floating hotel. The $1,089 a night (for six people sharing three bedrooms) is neatly located 20 minutes away

from both the airport and main shopping areas. One of the rooms even features and indoor fishing area. And even though the prices are – by Dubai standards – reasonable, Lootah Hotels (the management company) isn’t catching small fry: the Sharia-compliant facility is booked up months in advance.

With Dubai’s $544 million canal project in full flow and the swell from Expo 2020 building, hoteliers should be following their noses to the water.

With an oversaturated hospitality market on land, investors may find more liquid revenue streams elsewhere. It will take some time for the Middle East to get fully on board with boatels but they are certainly on the horizon.

“My philosophy is built around quality ingredients, pure and simple.”

Pierre Gagnaire

*Voted the favorite by 512 international chefs with 2 or 3 Michelin stars for Le Chef magazine.

Three Michelin stars Chef Voted world’s greatest chef by his Michelin peers.*

Only the best ingredients inspire the world’s greatest chefs.

Excellence inspires the chef’s favorite, Pierre Gagnaire*.

Excellence, it’s not just our name, it’s our promise.

Distributed in: KSA: Arrow Food Distribution Co ; UAE: Greenhouse Foodstuff LLC. ; Kuwait: Massad Co W.L.L. ; Qatar: Fahed Foods ; Oman : Gulf Technical Trading Co. LLC ; Bahrain : Fine Foods ; Jordan: Waddan Foodstuffs Co. Ltd. ; Lebanon : Bocti Sal contactthechefs@elvir.fr

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