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INSIDE MODERN HOSPITALITY LEADERSHIP AT EDGE RIYADH AL RABIE, ROTANA

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Exclusive interview with Kozhaya Tannous, Cluster General Manager, Edge by Rotana

In a market like Riyadh where expectations are evolving rapidly, what does ‘modern hospitality’ actually look like in practice, not conceptually, but in how guests experience your properties day-to-day?

    Modern hospitality in Riyadh is about delivering effortless, intuitive experiences that feel personal at every touchpoint. It is no longer only about facilities or design; it is about how naturally a guest feels understood throughout their journey.

    For us, it means combining technology-enabled efficiency with genuine human warmth. Guests expect speed, simplicity, and consistency but they also value authenticity and cultural understanding.

    On a day-to-day level, this translates into smooth arrivals, responsive teams, and a service culture that anticipates needs rather than reacts to them. Modern hospitality here is about being present, attentive, and consistently reliable.

    Managing a cluster means managing complexity at scale, what has been the hardest leadership adjustment moving from single property to cluster oversight?

    The biggest shift has been moving from hands-on operational leadership to empowering leaders across multiple properties.

    In a single hotel, you are close to every detail. In a cluster, success depends on building strong teams, clear alignment, and trust in execution.

    The challenge is not stepping away; it is stepping back without losing standards. You learn to lead through structure, clarity, and empowerment, ensuring every property reflects the same brand promise while adapting to its own market reality.

    Ultimately, you move from managing operations to enabling performance at scale.

    Riyadh operates at a unique intersection of rapid growth and cultural depth, what specific shifts have you made in your leadership style to stay effective in this environment?

    Riyadh is a dynamic and fast-moving market, but it is also deeply rooted in culture and expectations. That combination requires a leadership style that is both agile and grounded. I have become more intentional in listening whether to guests, teams, or stakeholders. Decisions are made faster, but they are also made with greater awareness of context. I also place strong emphasis on visibility and presence on the ground. In this market, leadership is felt most when it is close to the operation and engaged with people directly. It is about balancing speed with respect, and growth with cultural understanding.

    In a market dominated by luxury narratives, how does Edge by Rotana carve out a distinct value proposition without being perceived as just another midscale offering?

    Edge by Rotana represents a smart, modern, and efficient approach to hospitality, designed to align with the evolving needs of today’s travellers. Rather than competing in the traditional luxury space, the brand offers a distinct value proposition that reflects how people live, work, and travel today. It focuses on delivering practical comfort with consistency, ensuring guests experience a seamless and reliable stay every time. Service is intentionally efficient and streamlined, removing unnecessary complexity while maintaining high standards of quality and care. At the same time, Edge embraces contemporary, lifestyle-driven experiences that resonate with a new generation of travellers seeking flexibility, convenience, and authenticity. This approach creates a hospitality offering that is both relevant and accessible, without compromising on the details that matter most. By combining thoughtful design, intuitive service, and a clear understanding of modern expectations, Edge by Rotana delivers a well-balanced experience that prioritises comfort, functionality, and ease, making it an ideal choice for business and leisure travellers alike.

    With Vision 2030 accelerating inbound tourism, how is demand in Riyadh evolving beyond corporate travel?

    Riyadh is rapidly evolving into a multi-dimensional destination, moving beyond its traditional positioning as a primarily corporate hub. While business travel continues to play a significant role, there is a clear and growing shift in demand across several segments, including leisure and cultural travel, weekend regional tourism, and family-focused domestic stays. The rise of “bleisure” travel is also becoming increasingly evident, with guests blending business commitments with personal time and seeking more flexible, extended stays. This shift is contributing to a more diverse and dynamic hospitality landscape, where expectations go beyond just accommodation. Today’s travellers are staying longer and looking for more immersive, experience-driven offerings that allow them to connect with the destination, whether through cultural exploration, lifestyle amenities, or curated social experiences. As a result, hotels are adapting to meet these evolving needs, focusing on creating well-rounded stays that cater to both business and leisure, while delivering greater value and relevance to a broader audience.

    With shifting geopolitical dynamics across the region, have you observed any tangible changes in travel corridors or source markets into Riyadh, and how does that influence your commercial strategy?

    We are seeing a broader and more diverse mix of source markets into Riyadh.

    Regional GCC travel remains strong, while international corporate and project-related travel from Europe and Asia continues to grow.

    This has led us to adopt a more segmented commercial approach, tailoring our engagement strategies to different guest profiles and travel purposes. At the same time, partnerships and strategic alignment with stakeholders have become even more important in capturing new demand flows.

    With global economic fluctuations and geopolitical shifts, how resilient is the Riyadh hospitality market?

    Riyadh remains one of the most resilient hospitality markets globally. This resilience is driven by long-term structural growth under Vision 2030, ongoing mega-project development, and strong inbound investment. While global economic fluctuations influence travel patterns, Riyadh’s demand base is supported by diverse and long-term drivers that continue to expand the market sustainably.

    What’s one guest behaviour trend in Riyadh that has forced you to rethink traditional hospitality assumptions?

    One of the most significant changes is the rise of the highly informed, highly connected guest.

    Today’s guests expect control, transparency, and instant responsiveness. They want to shape their experience in real time rather than follow a fixed service structure.

    This has encouraged us to rethink traditional service flows and move toward a model that is more flexible, responsive, and guest-led while still maintaining the warmth and consistency Rotana is known for. Hospitality today is about adapting to the guest without losing the human touch.

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    Hospitality

    ZAHRA’S KITCHEN SHARES ITS GUIDE TO EASIER SUMMER EATING IN THE UAE

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    As summer routines shift across the UAE, Zahra’s Kitchen, the UAE homegrown premium food brand, is encouraging consumers to rethink convenience food with simple, flexible meal ideas designed to make everyday eating easier, more flavourful and less time consuming. The seasonal guide comes as the brand expands its ready meal range with three new additions and prepares to launch a limited edition single-portion collection exclusively on Noon Minutes this summer.

    Created for busy everyday routines, Zahra’s Kitchen offers handcrafted ready meals, snacks and nibbles inspired by comforting recipes and familiar flavours. Made using responsibly sourced ingredients, with no artificial additives or preservatives, products are frozen at peak freshness to help preserve flavour, texture and nutritional value, while offering greater ease, flexibility and variety throughout the week.

    This summer, the brand is spotlighting one of the simplest ways to approach mealtimes at home. One ready meal does not need to mean one meal. Instead, Zahra’s Kitchen is sharing how its dishes can become the starting point for multiple meal ideas, helping consumers create more variety with less effort.

    Simple ways to rethink summer meals include:

    • Beef Bolognese: Serve with pasta for an easy dinner, or turn it into lasagne, pasta bakes, stuffed vegetables or eggplant fattah.
    • Chilli Con Carne: Use as a base for tacos, enchiladas, nachos, rice bowls or loaded baked potatoes.
    • Butter Chicken: Pair with rice and naan, or fold into wraps, flatbreads, sandwiches and pizzas for a quick lunch or casual dinner.
    • Plant-Based Sweet Potato and Chickpea Red Curry: Enjoy on its own, or serve alongside grilled fish, chicken or vegetables for an easy summer meal.

    The expanded ready meal range now includes Lentil Soup, Chicken Freekah and Plant-Based Sweet Potato and Chickpea Red Curry, joining customer favourites including Beef Bolognese, Butter Chicken, Beef Meatballs, Chilli Con Carne and Basmati Rice.

    Currently available in two-serving portions, the ready meal range has been designed to offer flexibility, value and multiple meal occasions. The upcoming limited edition single-portion range, launching exclusively on Noon Minutes this summer, has been developed for consumers looking for greater flexibility during busier days.

    Alongside its ready meal collection, Zahra’s Kitchen also offers a range of snacks and nibbles rooted in Middle Eastern flavours and entertaining traditions, including Musakhan Rolls, Beef Kibbeh, Falafel and Spinach Puff Bites. Ideal for sharing platters, lunchboxes, family gatherings, casual hosting or everyday snacking, the range reflects the same commitment to quality ingredients and ease.

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    Hospitality

    KINTSUGI KAHANI WORKSHOP WITH ROHINI DUBAI

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    On 27 June, Rohini will host the Kintsugi Kahani Experience, inspired by the Japanese art of golden repair. Rooted in the philosophy of embracing imperfection, the experience invites guests to explore creativity through a hands-on workshop that celebrates the beauty found in flaws and life’s imperfections.

    Throughout the evening, participants will create a meaningful keepsake to take home while engaging with the centuries-old concept of transforming brokenness into something beautiful and unique. Designed as a reflective and creative experience, the workshop offers guests an opportunity to connect with the art form in an intimate and inspiring setting.

    Follow and explore: rohinidubai.com and IG: @rohini.dubai for more such offers and experiences..

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    Hospitality

    FROM TUNA FREIGHTER TO OCEAN ICON: SIYAM WORLD MALDIVES LAUNCHES NOONU ATOLL’S COOLEST NEW DIVE PLAYGROUND

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    At Siyam World Maldives, part of Sun Siyam’s Lifestyle Collection, when someone says, “let’s create a new dive site,” they do not mean a new mooring buoy. They mean sinking an entire ship and launching a brand-new shipwreck site in Noonu Atoll. A former Maldivian tuna freighter has now been reimagined as a dynamic new wreck dive site and the foundation of a future living reef.

    Over time, through natural coral growth and dedicated restoration efforts, the wreck will gradually transform into a thriving underwater ecosystem, creating new habitat for marine life and contributing to the long-term health of the surrounding environment. Developed in collaboration with the resort’s expert team at Sun Diving, the project blends Maldivian heritage, conservation, and serious underwater adventure into one bold new experience.

    What started as a playful dinner remark in 2021 quickly turned into a bold mission: Chairman and founder, Mr. Ahmed Siyam Mohamed shared a vision of creating something truly special beneath the waters of Noonu Atoll, a dive experience that would attract explorers while contributing to the future of the marine environment. And just like that, the challenge was set. Fast forward, a former Japanese-built tuna freighter from the 1980s, once responsible for transporting Maldivian tuna across the atolls to Malé and local canneries, has been reimagined as the region’s newest underwater attraction. Measuring 66.36 metres in length and weighing 499 tonnes, the vessel now begins a second life beneath the waters of Noonu Atoll as both an exciting new dive site and the foundation of a growing artificial reef.

    After being located in Lhaviyani Atoll and carefully cleaned and prepared near Malé, the vessel was towed to Noonu Atoll following government approval in August 2024. In October 2024, it was purposefully sunk on the north west side of Siyam World, within the resort’s territorial waters, beside a thriving reef already known for schooling fish and vibrant marine life.

    Of course, no great story happens without a twist. During the initial sinking, trapped air caused the ship to settle upside down on the seabed. Not exactly the plan. Undeterred, Siyam World brought in a skilled local team from Miladhoo in early 2025 who, after weeks of precision lifting with massive air bags and ropes, successfully rotated the wreck upright. Mission accomplished.

    Today, the bow points dramatically towards the reef at 10 metres, while the stern drops to 24 metres, creating an accessible yet thrilling dive for a wide range of certified divers. The marine life has wasted no time claiming its new address. Already recorded around the wreck are guitar sharks, blacktip reef sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks, grey reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, eagle rays, stingrays, turtles, moray eels, octopus, groupers, snappers, boxfish, batfish, angelfish, nudibranchs, and large schools of jackfish. Soft and hard corals are already flourishing across the steel structure, transforming it into a living reef and highlighting its potential to become one of the Maldives’ most exciting artificial reef projects

    Unlike a traditional reef dive, this site delivers atmosphere, scale and a real sense of exploration. Divers can glide along the ship’s striking exterior lines or venture carefully into open sections to experience its shadowed interiors and dramatic angles. The contrast between the bright blue open water and the moody steel silhouette creates unforgettable perspectives and serious photo moments. It is immersive, powerful and entirely unique to the region.

    With official government approval to cultivate coral fragments directly onto the wreck, Siyam World’s Sun Diving team is actively enhancing the site as a living, growing artificial reef. But the ambition extends beyond creating a new dive attraction. The wreck forms the centrepiece of Wreck to Reef, Siyam World’s new annual ocean conservation initiative under the Sun Siyam Cares sustainability platform. As the project develops, guests will be able to follow its progress through future editions of Wreck to Reef, updates from Sun Diving’s marine experts, and a structured reef monitoring programme led by resort Marine Biologist Mariyam Thuhufa (Thuhu). Coral growth, biodiversity, and the overall development of the ecosystem will be documented and assessed every three months, providing measurable insights into the transformation of the wreck into a thriving living reef. The goal is to create a lasting connection between travellers and the marine environment, transforming visitors into active participants in ocean restoration while ensuring the project’s environmental impact can be monitored, measured, and shared for years to come.

    For those wanting to be part of the story from the very beginning, Siyam World will officially launch the first edition of Wreck to Reef from 11 to 15 June 2026, bringing together divers, conservationists, content creators, and ocean enthusiasts for a programme of wreck dives, coral planting sessions, marine talks, clean-up initiatives, and community engagement activities. Designed as an annual event, Wreck to Reef will return each year to celebrate and support the ongoing transformation of the wreck into a living reef.

    The best part? This new wreck dive is available to all Siyam World guests, and to certified divers staying at other resorts within Noonu Atoll for a supplementary excursion fee. In short, it is set to become the atoll’s new must dive experience. At Siyam World, adventure does not stop at the waterline. Sometimes, it begins twenty four metres below it.

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