Stirling Hospitality Advisors announces the launch of a new Development Advisory Vertical designed to provide hospitality developers with a comprehensive services package that will include essential support throughout the entire development process.

Under the new Development Advisory Vertical, Stirling Hospitality Advisors will coordinate the project on behalf of the owner from concept ideation to development and construction, until the hotel is fully operational.

Commenting on the launch,Tatiana Veller, Managing Director at Stirling Hospitality Advisors said: “We have successfully positioned ourselves within the heart of the action in Ras Al Khaimah, and are delighted to be able to capitalize on the huge opportunities that are available here, and the rapid market growth. With our expertise and resources, we hold the keys to successful hotel development. We’re excited to launch our new development advisory vertical, further cementing our leadership in the industry.”

Under the new vertical, the hotel development process will start with Stirling Hospitality Advisors assisting the investor with concept creation, feasibility study, hotel operator/brand search, and negotiation. Following this, the expert team will continue overseeing and coordinating all stakeholders throughout the development process, anticipating potential problems that a first-time developer might not foresee.

Led by Michael Bagdasarov, Senior Advisory Manager at Stirling Hospitality Advisors, the team has already begun servicing clients under the new vertical with two projects underway. This includes a complete development advisory services agreement with BB Holding for an upper-midscale branded hotel on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, with approximately 300-350 keys. Having successfully helped BB Holding with the land acquisition and completion of an in-depth feasibility study and concept development for the project, Stirling Hospitality Advisors is in the middle of the operator search and selection process, as well as supporting the client in securing financing for the project.

Commenting on the new vertical, Michael Bagdasarov, Senior Advisory Manager at Stirling Hospitality Advisors said: “We understand that developing a new hotel from scratch often creates anxiety for first-time hotel developers, especially those without a fully-fledged in-house development team. Our all-in-one Development Advisory Services package offers a holistic approach, allowing developers to choose their level of involvement, whether being hands-on in every decision or relaxing with the assurance of having a professional hospitality team screening every element of the project and bringing them a choice of solutions rather than a stack of problems.”

Meanwhile, Stirling Hospitality Advisors are also assisting Garden City Investments – the owner of a design-driven boutique hotel project in Jumeirah Gardens district in Dubai. After completing a full feasibility study, Stirling Hospitality Advisors recommended a franchise approach by an operator with a soft brand, allowing the owner to accomplish their vision for the hotel’s boutique design and distinctive identity, while still reaping the benefits of being a part of a major international brand.

The Development Advisory Vertical is part of Stirling’s long-term vision to be renowned by all stakeholders for the value they add to any hospitality project. As a subsidiary of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Hospitality Holding, Stirling Hospitality Advisors currently asset manages over 3,500 hotel rooms in three countries and is responsible for a hotel and resort portfolio valued at over USD 1.25 billion.

The Institute of Banking Studies Kuwait (KIBS) and The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF) are proud to announce the successful completion of the Risk Management Leaders Programme held in London. This groundbreaking initiative marks a significant milestone in enhancing the capabilities of banking and financial professionals, in line with Kuwait Vision 2035.

The programme, designed to provide comprehensive training on the multifaceted risk environment, included an interactive series of sessions focusing on post-pandemic risks, cyber and digital threats, geopolitical challenges, ESG, and climate-related risks. Over a two-week period, participants engaged in trainer-led workshops, role play, case studies, guest speaker sessions, and site visits, including notable visits to Moody’s and Starling Bank.

Eng. Rana AlNibarai, Director General at the Institute of Banking Studies Kuwait, commented, “This programme represents a pivotal step towards realising Kuwait Vision 2035 by investing in our human capital and fostering a culture of excellence in risk management. Our collaboration with LIBF has empowered our professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of the modern financial landscape.”

Ehsan Razavizadeh, Managing Director of MENA and Asia at LIBF, added, “We are delighted to partner with IBS Kuwait in delivering this essential training programme. By equipping participants with practical skills and insights, we are helping to cultivate a new generation of agile leaders who can drive innovation and maintain stability in the banking and financial sectors.”

A highlight of the programme was the visit to Moody’s, to learn more about how they enable individuals and organisations to decode complexity and unlock opportunities through their extensive data capabilities, tools and technologies which span credit ratings research and insights, information services and decision solutions. 

The programme also featured a visit to Starling Bank, where participants delved into the Starling story, gaining an overview of Engine, the technology underpinning Starling’s operations. They also witnessed demonstrations of key processes such as onboarding and explored how Starling manages risk through these processes.

Kuwait Vision 2035 places a strong emphasis on improving education institutions as part of its commitment to human capital development. By raising educational standards and fostering creativity and research, Kuwait aims to nurture a highly skilled workforce capable of driving national progress. The Risk Management Leaders Programme aligns perfectly with this vision, ensuring that Kuwaiti professionals are well-prepared to tackle future challenges and opportunities in the financial sector.

Risk management has become increasingly critical in recent years, particularly in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Risk Management Leaders Programme equips participants with the practical skills needed to evaluate and enhance risk management approaches, thereby fostering a more intuitive and perceptive leadership style.

IDeaS announced that it has reached the milestone of nearly 2,000 properties live on the Oracle Hospitality Integration Platform (OHIP). This integration seamlessly connects RMS solutions, including IDeaS G3 RMS, with Oracle’s OPERA Cloud platform, accessible through both OHIP and the Oracle Cloud Marketplace – a centralized hub for enterprise applications.

Building upon their 25-year legacy of hospitality innovation, IDeaS and Oracle are nearing a milestone of 10,000 shared clients. IDeaS G3 RMS, a system that delivers scientific pricing decisions at the room type and rate code level to drive optimal revenue performance, seamlessly connects with OPERA Cloud via OHIP. This empowers faster implementations without requiring Oracle’s intervention, ensuring efficient and scalable integration for their extensive network of hoteliers.

Connected hotels have expressed excitement about the increased efficiency, ease of integration, and a faster interface. IDeaS is currently connecting 50 to 100 hotels per week, providing the advantage of enabling future capabilities and additional IDeaS solutions more quickly.

Oracle Cloud Marketplace is a one-stop shop for Oracle customers seeking trusted business applications offering unique business solutions, including ones that extend Oracle Cloud Applications. Oracle Cloud is an enterprise cloud that delivers massive, non-variable performance and next-generation security across a comprehensive portfolio of services, including SaaS, application development, application hosting, and business analytics. Customers get access to leading compute, storage, data management, security, integration, HPC, artificial intelligence (AI), and Blockchain services to augment and modernize their critical workloads. Oracle Cloud runs Oracle Autonomous Database, the industry’s first and only self-driving database.

industry has long craved faster data exchanges and more capabilities to handle ever-increasing Klaus Kohlmayr, chief evangelist and development officer, IDeaS, said: “The hospitality data volumes, and OHIP delivers precisely that. By accelerating data exchange and efficiently transmitting the staggering 12 billion pricing decisions IDeaS processes daily, OHIP empowers us to innovate faster as partners with Oracle. This goes beyond pricing and forecasting – it unlocks the true potential of data-driven revenue management, allowing hoteliers to make smarter decisions and achieve optimal results.”

Laura Calin, vice president of Hospitality Strategy and Solutions Management, Oracle, said: “Oracle Cloud Marketplace is a treasure trove of some of the best hospitality software and services available on the market today. Our partner IDeaS Revenue Solutions can now take advantage of our self-service integration platform, allowing them to scale deployments and significantly simplify the support model of their interface.”