‘I think we should stop buying brands and start creating our own, especially in hospitality.” So says Ali Al Hosani, a veteran of the UAE’s hotel and hospitality industry. “When you come here you see hospitality through different eyes, whether that’s with international or local operators, but they don’t have an Emirati feel to them. When it comes to hospitality, nobody sees us.”
The “us” in question are Emiratis and Al Hosani has a plan to create the world’s first Emirati hotel brand. “Why don’t we start promoting our culture through hospitality?” he says. “We are proud of our culture, of the fact that we welcome people and that our doors are open, so we want to create a brand that reflects us.”
Al Hosani wants to develop a chain that will be Emirati “from the ground up”. The hotels will be operated, managed and designed by Emiratis and will serve Emirati cuisine cooked by Emirati chefs using organic food grown on local farms. “Hospitality is about more than just serving,” he insists. “People can work in the back office, in finance, in admin, in HR. The capability is there, it just needs to be utilised in the right way. Nobody can say they cannot work.”
Al Hosani started in the industry 22 years ago as a trainee with Abu Dhabi National Hotels. “There were 16 of us originally, but I was the only trainee who stayed. That was in 1992.”
After stints with Hilton, Sheraton and InterContinental, Al Hosani became the director of marketing for Abu Dhabi National Hotels and, in 2004, he was appointed director of marketing and promotion for the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.
Al Hosani predicts that his first property will be open in Abu Dhabi before the end of the year. “Our properties will become Emirati ambassadors in London and in New York. People will get to see us and that will encourage them to visit Abu Dhabi.”
Favourite airline
Etihad Airways. [It’s a] young, energetic airline and they provide good service and connectivity [that] always tries to innovate its products and services [to] stay ahead of their competition.
Advice for travellers
Always try to explore the culture and traditions of the country you are travelling to. One can learn so much from other cultures – it opens the mind and teaches you to understand and respect other cultures.
Favourite business hotel
The Lanesborough Hotel is a good experience for me. It offers great service and you go there and feel welcomed. The check-in process is very smooth and seamless, and if you have a coffee or tea, nobody races after you with the cheque. The rooms are also big and, in London, that’s not easy to find.
Favourite restaurant
Hakkasan at the Emirates Palace. The service is great, the food is excellent and I love the atmosphere.
The best way to experience Abu Dhabi
I think visitors to Abu Dhabi should experience the desert and then they should go to the islands. You need to experience that combination of the sun and the sea in one place.
Best piece of advice
There is one piece of advice that always come to mind. When you are young, you see things differently than when you are older. When I first started in the hospitality industry I said: “But the salary you are giving me is too low.” But I was told: “Today, you chase the salary, but tomorrow the salary will chase you.”
Favourite destination
In London, you see visitors coming from everywhere. You see the number of hotels and the number of restaurants and the infrastructure – I think it’s a very positive city.
Favourite resort
The Four Seasons resort in the Seychelles is the best resort. The way it is near the sea, it is beautiful.
A mantra to live by
You have to do something that you love. If you do that, then you can be the most innovative person.
My inspiration
My father. Most definitely.
Favourite dish
We have so many dishes here – from the sea and the desert – but I think people should experience jasheed. It’s baby shark boiled, mixed with spices and onions and garlic and served with rice.
nleech@thenational.ae
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Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The fake news generation
288,000 – the number of posts reported as hate speech that were deleted by Facebook globally each month in May and June this year
11% – the number of Americans who said they trusted the news they read on Snapchat as of June 2017, according to Statista. Over a quarter stated that they ‘rarely trusted’ the news they read on social media in general
31% - the number of young people in the US aged between 10 and 18 who said they had shared a news story online in the last six months that they later found out was wrong or inaccurate
63% - percentage of Arab nationals who said they get their news from social media every single day.
Racecard
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
RECORD%20BREAKER
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
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MANDOOB
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
