Middle East – Saudization has taken centre stage at Ascott Rafal Olaya Riyadh, ahead of Saudi Arabia’s National Day on 23rd September, with the announcement of two new key staff member appointments at the property.

As KSA celebrates its 86th National Day this month, Ascott has placed a key focus on training and recruitment of Saudi nationals. Along with the required Saudization obligations in the Kingdom, Ascott is undergoing traineeships and development training for career growth tailored to the requirements of young dedicated people wanting to work in the hospitality industry.

Ibrahim Tawfig joins as Executive Assistant Manager, overseeing guest services, security and HR as well as assisting the property’s General Manager with daily operations. Tawfig has more than 16 years of hospitality experience, specifically within the 5-star hotel market in KSA, having most recently been the Executive Assistant Manager at Le Meridien Madinah. Prior to that, Tawfig held several hospitality-related positions, including Duty Manager, Front Office Manager, Rooms Division Manager and Guest Experience Manager. Tawfig holds an Executive Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (Marketing) from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, and a High Diploma in Hospitality from Cornell University (USA).

Abdulrahman Al Mansour has been appointed as the property’s Assistant Director of Sales. Mansour has been in the hospitality industry for six years and has a sound understanding of the local market and culture. He has extensive knowledge of branded and independent hotel operations, sales, marketing, revenue and public relations. He is currently completing his MBA via correspondence at the University of Liverpool (UK) and has, since 2011, completed several sales, PR, and marketing courses.

Vincent Miccolis, Ascott’s Regional GM for the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, says: “We are proud to welcome two new team members to Ascott Rafal Olaya Riyadh. They each bring valuable experience and a set of key skills to their roles, and we are confident that this growth is another step to continue providing an outstanding level of service and customer satisfaction to our guests.”

Ascott, a wholly owned subsidiary of CapitaLand Limited, is one of the world’s leading serviced residence owner-operators. Its current KSA presence spans 12 properties and 1,624 units, of which five properties are in operation and six are in the pipeline. This year will see Spectrums Makkah open in Q4, and Ascott Corniche Al Kohbar in early 2019, the first of two properties in the region. KSA has developed to be the largest region across the Middle East for Ascott as it continues to work towards its 2020 target of 2,500 units.

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About The Ascott Limited

The Ascott Limited is a Singapore company that has grown to be one of the leading international serviced residence owner-operators. It has over 43,000 operating serviced residence units in key cities of the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, as well as over 26,000 units which are under development, making a total of close to 70,000 units in over 500 properties.

The company's brands include Ascott, Citadines, Somerset, Quest, The Crest Collection and lyf. Its portfolio spans more than 120 cities across over 30 countries. Ascott's properties can be found in cities including New York, London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin and Barcelona in Europe; Singapore, Bangkok, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong in Asia; Melbourne and Perth in Australia, Bangalore and Chennai in India as well as Dubai, Doha and Manama in the Middle East.

Ascott, a wholly owned subsidiary of CapitaLand Limited, pioneered Asia Pacific's first international-class serviced residence with the opening of The Ascott Singapore in 1984. In 2006, it established the world's first Pan-Asian serviced residence real estate investment trust, Ascott Residence Trust. Today, the company boasts over 30 years of industry track record and award-winning serviced residence brands that enjoy recognition worldwide. 

Ascott’s achievements have been recognised internationally. Recent awards include World Travel Awards 2017 for ‘Leading Serviced Apartment Brand’ in Asia, Europe and the Middle East; DestinAsian Readers' Choice Awards 2017 for 'Best Serviced Residence Brand', TTG China Travel Awards 2017 for 'Best Serviced Residence Operator in China'; Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards 2017 for ‘Best Serviced Residence Brand’; Business Traveller UK Awards 2017 for ‘Best Serviced Apartment Company’; Business Traveller China Awards 2017 for ‘Best Serviced Residence Brand’ and Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2016 for ‘Best Serviced Apartment Company’. For a full list of awards, please visit https://www.the-ascott.com/ascottlimited/awards.html. 

As an employer, The Ascott Limited is proud to be recognised by Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) as a Human Capital Partner (HCPartner), and commended for our efforts in investing in human capital development and adopting fair and progressive workplace practices.

About CapitaLand Limited

CapitaLand is one of Asia’s largest real estate companies. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, it is an owner and manager of a global portfolio worth S$85 billion as at 30 September 2017, comprising integrated developments, shopping malls, serviced residences, offices, homes, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and funds. Present across more than 150 cities in over 30 countries, the Group focuses on Singapore and China as core markets, while it continues to expand in markets such as Vietnam and Indonesia.

CapitaLand’s competitive advantage is its significant asset base and extensive market network. Coupled with extensive design, development and operational capabilities, the Group develops and manages high-quality real estate products and services. It also has one of the largest investment management businesses in Asia and a stable of five REITs listed in Singapore and Malaysia – CapitaLand Mall Trust, CapitaLand Commercial Trust, Ascott Residence Trust, CapitaLand Retail China Trust and CapitaLand Malaysia Mall Trust.

Visit www.capitaland.com for more information.

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Email: cindy.b@qcomms.ae

© Press Release 2018

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