I have been a passionate hotelier for over 20 years. I started my career at Pearl Continental Hotel in Pakistan and continued my hospitality career in UAE from 2000 till now. I did my MBA in marketing from the College of Business Administration & graduated from Hailey College of Commerce Lahore, Pakistan.
Currently, I am working as Area General Manager, Northern Emirates, handling overall operations at Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel and Coral Beach Resort Sharjah, managed by Hospitality Management Holding.

2. Managing multiple hotels in different locations can be challenging. How do you ensure that both Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel and Coral Beach Resort Sharjah maintain their unique identities while aligning with the overarching brand standards?
Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel and Coral Beach Resort Sharjah are about five minutes drive away from each other, so it is very convenient to reach each hotel.
Though both hotels are family-friendly hotels and are established with their unique identities and brand standards. We maintain the identities of both properties; we have our marketing persons to ensure that brand alignment and uniformity are maintained at all the marketing platforms.

3. What strategies do you employ to maintain high levels of guest satisfaction and deliver exceptional experiences in both properties?
Our team is trained, coordinated and ensures to give exceptional experience to our guests. We make certain that the online review platforms are monitored in order to check if there are flaws to rectify immediately.
4. As an Area General Manager, what steps do you take to ensure effective communication and collaboration among the teams at Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel and Coral Beach Resort Sharjah?
Most of our heads of departments are in cluster positions and that helps in disseminating information to the team of both hotels. Activities like CSR, community engagement and sports are always joined as one. Additionally, each hotel is having their group WhatsApp where all updates are communicated through the said platform. We do have our Staff Gathering on a quarterly basis where all the staff members are meeting one another.
5. Sustainability is a growing concern in the hospitality industry. How do you integrate sustainable practices into the operations of both hotels, and what initiatives have you implemented to reduce their environmental footprint?
It has been my passion and I am a big advocate of sustainability; working on taking care of our environment. For more than 10 years, I have constantly been integrating sustainable practices into operations. At Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel and Coral Beach Resort Sharjah, we have implemented several strategies and ways to reduce the environmental footprints; some of them are:
• Our staff members were given reusable bags made of our discarded linens to avoid excessive use of plastic bags.
• We reduce waste to landfill through waste segregations system.
• We send our recyclable waste materials to organizations that will help to convert these into useful one and dispose it properly i.e. our PET (polyethylene terephthalate) waste is converted into high-quality yarn for textile production through DGrade Simply Bottle Campaign.
• We are constantly working closely with Emirates Environmental Group for other wastes like cans, cartons, newspapers, and used gadgets.
• We also encourage our guests to demonstrate mutual environmental commitment to reduce carbon footprint by keeping notes on how to participate like by turning off the lights, unplugging the phone and laptop chargers that are not in use in the rooms.

6. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the hospitality sector. How have you adapted your operations and implemented safety measures to ensure the health and well-being of guests and staff at both properties?
Coral Beach Resort Sharjah and Bahi Ajman Palace Hotels were both awarded with TUV Southwest’s ‘Go Safe’ certification. Both the properties were assessed, and found compliant with the requirements of safe hotel operations against Covid-19. Moreover, we followed protocols on safety and hygiene procedures from local government.

7. As an Area General Manager, talent management is crucial. How do you recruit, develop, and retain top talent within your teams at both hotels?
I believe that the success of each company mainly depends on the people working there. Without people, it is very crucial for a company to succeed. We screen candidates through interviews in order to recruit the team. And when they are on-board, we develop their skills through consistent trainings and coaching. We ensure where there is chance for them to grow their career, we give them opportunity. We promote people as far as their performance matches the requirements.

8. How do you leverage technology to improve operational efficiency and guest satisfaction at both properties? Can you provide examples of specific technological solutions that have been implemented?
Our Information Technology team is in its final phase for IPTV solution at Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel. It allows to streamline communication between hotel staff and guests, such as providing information about hotel. It enhances the guest experience and improves operational efficiency for hotels.

9. What is your approach to building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, such as local authorities, industry partners, and suppliers, to support the success of both properties?
Stakeholders play vital role in any company’s progress. Maintaining positive stakeholder relationship helps groups work together more effectively and enables more holistic decision-making. It’s important to reflect on the insights we receive from our stakeholders and store the conversations accurately. We ensure to coordinate and cooperate to maintain good relationships with key stakeholders.

10. Can you share a specific challenge or obstacle you have faced during your tenure as Area General Manager and how you overcame it?
I think the toughest challenge I faced during my tenure as Area General Manager is the period when we experienced the Covid-19 pandemic. All of us suffered a lot as that was the first ever pandemic we faced and we were not prepared at all. The business went down drastically while the health of the staff was also a big concern.

11. Lastly, what do you see as the key factors for the growth of Hotel Industry in the coming years?
Circumstances over the past few years have triggered a transformation within the hospitality industry. Technology has been evolving at breakneck speed, and the hospitality industry is adopting as much as many to new technologies. Above all, social responsibility, and moral & economic obligations will give impact to the hotel industry in the coming years. People are becoming increasingly sensitive towards environmental and social issues and the hotels must come up to the expectations of the people.