Imagery courtesy of Radisson Hotel Group.

Radisson Hotel Group has hired a new Middle East director of development to further propel its growth across the region.

The appointment of Oussama El Kadiri as director development is intended to help the group achieve its ambition to double its portfolio in the region by 2026.

Transformation plan

El Kadiri will be a part of leading the expansion of Radisson Hotel Group’s presence throughout the Middle East region, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia, where he will identify and evaluate business growth opportunities and build on the success of the company’s five-year expansion and transformation plan.

Regional properties already in the pipeline include Radisson Resort Dubai Palm Jumeirah, arriving in the Emirate in Q1 2023, Park Inn by Radisson Manama heading to Bahrain by the end of this year and Radisson Blu Resort, Riyadh Hills Shalalah in the Saudi Arabian capital, scheduled for Q4 2023.

Extensive experience

El Kadiri arrives with over a decade of experience in consulting with exposure to a variety of real estate markets including the Middle East, Africa, and Western Europe. Before joining Radisson Hotel Group, he spent five years with JLL MENA hotels, hospitality, and valuation departments, with key responsibilities including hotel strategic consulting, valuation, and strategic advisory for some of the largest projects in the region.

Prior to joining JLL in the Middle East, he covered a variety of valuation and advisory roles at CBRE in Paris, France with a wide exposure to Western European markets. El Kadiri holds a master’s degree in civil engineering and real estate management from the ESTP engineering school in Paris, France.

Great asset

Elie Milky, vice president development for the Middle East, Pakistan, Cyprus and Greece at Radisson Hotel Group, said: “Oussama has vast experience in the hospitality real estate sector. His knowledge of hotel transactions, established relationships with a strong investor base, and extensive understanding of the Middle East markets, particularly Saudi Arabia, make him a great asset to the team as we continue our ambitious growth and development plans in the region.”

While El Kadiri himself added: “I am pleased to join Radisson Hotel Group at this time when the company is rapidly growing its presence in the Middle East, and I am eager to deliver the development strategy for this dynamic region. My focus will be on ongoing relationship management with existing and potential owners, and to support the expansion of the company’s presence throughout the region.”

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