Exclusive interview with Khalid Saeed, General Manager, Al Habtoor Grand Resort, Autograph Collection

With your extensive experience in the UAE’s hospitality industry, how has your local expertise shaped your leadership approach at Al Habtoor Grand Resort, Autograph Collection?

Working in the UAE for more than 26 years has taught me that hospitality here is about much more than service—it’s about culture and connection. At Al Habtoor Grand Resort, we live by our concept ‘Beach Meets Culture, blending our prime location on Jumeirah Beach with authentic touches of Emirati heritage. My leadership style reflects that same balance: operational discipline, financial responsibility, and genuine warmth that makes guests feel part of something special.

Al Habtoor Grand Resort has emerged as a sought-after destination for regional travelers, especially from the GCC. What do you believe is attracting this audience to the property today?

For GCC travellers, our resort offers the perfect mix of space, privacy, and connection. Families appreciate our suites, authentic Arabic design touches from elegant mashrabiya details to a warm contemporary Arabian style along with a wide choice of dining options and of course beachfront location. Business and leisure guests value our proximity to Dubai’s key districts. What sets us apart is consistency—guests know they can return to the same warm service and thoughtful details that make the stay truly memorable.

How is the hotel integrating today’s evolving travel trends, such as wellness, workcation, and experience-driven stays, into the guest journey?

Today’s travelers are seeking balance—wellness, productivity, and inspiring experiences. We meet these needs through our spa, fitness facilities, and a variety of outdoor activities, including four outdoor tennis courts, beach volleyball, a range of watersports for Adults, Kids water slides and  splash pad for children. For workcations, we offer high-speed connectivity and dedicated one of its kind  Club Lounge in the 25^th Floor designed for both comfort and productivity.

We further enhance the guest journey with curated dining experiences and cultural activations. This is where our ‘Beach Meets Culture’ identity truly shines—offering a stay that blends Dubai’s vibrant beach lifestyle with rich heritage, delivering an experience “exactly like nothing else”.

What role does digital innovation play in your operations and guest engagement strategy?

Digital innovation is a vital part of how we enhance the guest journey. Mobile check-in, digital concierge services, and tailored communications give guests convenience and personalisation, while analytics guide us in anticipating their needs. Yet hospitality is still about people—technology helps us deliver efficiency, but the human connection is what makes the experience unforgettable.

In such a competitive hospitality landscape, what marketing or sales strategies have proven most effective for you in driving both occupancy and loyalty?

Our strategy is built on clear positioning and disciplined execution. Personalized service, a strong focus on guest satisfaction, competitive promotions, and our ability to cater to a diverse mix of source markets have been key drivers of loyalty. Marriott Bonvoy also plays an important role, connecting us to a global community of travelers who value consistency and recognition. At the same time, we place strong emphasis on regional campaigns, strategic partnerships, and tailored promotions that resonate particularly well with the GCC market. What differentiates us is our ‘Beach Meets Culture’ identity, which allows us to highlight experiences that feel “exactly like nothing else” —whether it’s family-friendly recreation, cultural activations, or diverse dining.

What does success look like for you at Al Habtoor Grand Resort over the next year?

For me, success is about balance—achieving financial goals, creating unforgettable guest experiences, and keeping our team inspired. Over the next year, I want to strengthen our position as the resort where the spirit of place shines through—offering a stay that’s truly one of a kind. When our guests leave with lasting memories, our owners see measurable results, and our associates feel proud of where they work—that’s what true success looks like. True leadership is about empowering people to deliver results together, not alone.

Exclusive interview with İnanç Işık, General Manager – Retail, Kerry Middle East

You’ve spoken about the balance between taste, functionality, and sustainability. What technological advances are helping Kerry achieve sustainable innovation without compromising flavour or performance?

At Kerry, sustainability and taste are inseparable. Our Tastesense™ portfolio enables up to 50% sugar and salt reduction while preserving flavour integrity. We combine biotechnology, fermentation, and enzymology to extend shelf life and reduce food waste, supporting circular economy goals. Proprietary tools like Kerry NutriGuide model nutritional impact during reformulation, ensuring healthier profiles without trade-offs. These innovations are embedded in our Smart Taste™ platform, which addresses cost, supply, and regulatory pressures while maintaining indulgent taste. For example, our Cocoa Booster technology allows up to 20% cocoa reduction, mitigating volatility and lowering carbon footprint without compromising sensory experience.

Ingredient volatility — such as fluctuating cocoa and sugar prices — remains a major industry challenge. How is Kerry using R&D and data-led formulation to help manufacturers manage supply and cost risks?

Cocoa prices have surged by over 300% in the past year, and sugar markets remain highly volatile due to global supply constraints and regulatory pressures. Kerry addresses these challenges through a combination of predictive formulation tools like NutriGuide and advanced ingredient technologies.

For cocoa, our Cocoa Booster solutions enable up to 20% cocoa reduction without compromising indulgent taste or compliance. For sugar, our Tastesense™ technology delivers up to 50% sugar reduction, helping manufacturers manage cost exposure without compromising on taste while meeting consumer demand for healthier profiles.

These strategies not only reduce reliance on volatile raw materials but also improve manufacturing efficiency, delivering cost savings of up to 24% in bakery applications, while ensuring consistent quality, sustainability, and great taste.

Kerry’s approach to innovation often begins in foodservice before scaling to retail. How does this process work in practice, and what tools or insights make it effective?

Foodservice is our innovation incubator. Concepts validated in quick-service and casual dining channels, where trends emerge fastest, are adapted for retail using Taste Charts, Trendspotter AI, and Kerry Kalaido®, our generative AI concepting tool. These tools accelerate ideation-to-launch by combining consumer insights, sensory science, and chef-led prototyping. At Gulfood, we showcased Gold Brew Qahwa and Nashville Chicken Chips, examples of foodservice-inspired ideas scaled for retail through Kerry’s integrated RD&A network and global manufacturing footprint.

With the rise of GLP-1 health trends and growing demand for high-protein, functional products, how is Kerry adapting its strategy to meet new consumer nutrition needs?

GLP-1 adoption is reshaping consumer priorities toward satiety, digestive health, and metabolic support. Kerry’s Proactive Health platform delivers science-backed solutions like BC30™ probiotics for protein absorption, Eupoly-3™ omega-3s for heart health, and Tastesense™ masking solutions to improve flavour in high-protein, reduced-sugar formulations. Our proprietary research identifies five GLP-1 consumer personas, guiding innovation in formats such as protein bars, functional beverages, and meal replacements. At Gulfood, concepts like the Hot Honey Power Bar demonstrated how indulgence and functionality can coexist.

Kerry recently partnered with KidZania on the Kids Flavour Detective Workshop. How do initiatives like this help your teams understand emerging taste preferences and design products for future generations?

The Kids Flavour Detective Workshop gave us direct access to Gen Alpha’s flavour preferences through hands-on co-creation. Gen Alpha has more active taste buds and higher sensitivity to sweet, bitter, umami and spicy compounds. Insights from this activation helped us develop new cheese powder concepts, Savoury Parmesan and Creamy Gouda, featured at Gulfood. These initiatives ensure our innovation pipeline reflects the evolving tastes of younger consumers, enabling brands to future-proof their portfolios with flavours that resonate across generations.

Collaboration with research institutions such as KAUST and KHNI highlights Kerry’s investment in science-driven innovation. How do these partnerships translate bioscience and smart-health research into everyday food solutions?

Our partnerships with KAUST and the Kerry Health & Nutrition Institute (KHNI) accelerate breakthroughs in microbiome science, cellular biology, and functional ingredient development. These collaborations underpin innovations like personalised AI nutrition platforms, clean-label reformulation, and functional ingredients for better health. By embedding cutting-edge science into everyday application, from sugar reduction systems to hydration solutions, we deliver solutions that meet consumer health needs without compromising taste.

Looking ahead, what does the future of food manufacturing look like to you — and how will Kerry continue to lead the transformation of the region’s food ecosystem?

The future is digital, sustainable, and personalised. Expect AI-driven predictive analytics, carbon reduction strategies, and bioscience-led nutrition to dominate. Kerry will continue to lead by combining taste leadership, sustainability, and science-backed innovation, shaping a resilient food ecosystem for MENAT and beyond. Our ambition is clear: to reach two billion people with sustainable nutrition solutions by 2030, while enabling customers to deliver products that are better for people, society, and the planet.

Exclusive Interview with Michael Aldendorff, Managing Director, Sage

1. From its Breville heritage to the Sage identity today, how has the brand’s philosophy evolved, especially when catering to professional kitchens, homes and hotels alike?
2. Our heritage lies in Breville’s engineering-led approach to creating appliances defined by precision and performance. When the Group expanded globally, it introduced the Sage® brand in markets such as the UK, Europe and the Middle East, since the Breville name was already owned by a third party in these regions. This gave us a company-owned identity that delivers the same global innovation while resonating with local consumers.

Coffee has always been at the center of that journey. What began as engineering for performance has evolved into what is now known as third-wave coffee at home, where origin, flavor integrity and ritual matter as much as caffeine. Guided by our “Food Thinking” ethos, we work with baristas, chefs and consumers to translate challenges into “Simple Moments of Brilliance.”

Today this means “Mastery in a Box”: intuitive appliances that empower people to achieve café-quality results at home and “Master Every Moment” with family and friends.

• As Managing Director, how do you identify emerging trends in hospitality and dining that could inspire the next generation of Sage products?
• The most important thing is to spend time in our customers’ kitchens, listening, observing and learning. Trends do not appear overnight; they grow from cultural and lifestyle shifts. In coffee, the growing focus on wellness has meant cleaner flavors, less sugar and a stronger emphasis on origin and brewing style. At the same time, entertaining at home has become more experiential, with the kitchen increasingly acting as the stage.

We also look closely at the café world, since what happens behind the bar often sets the tone for what people later want at home. Guided by our “Food Thinking” ethos, we translate those insights into innovations we describe as “Mastery in a Box.” By the time cold brew or plant-based milk became mainstream at home, Sage had already anticipated the shift, giving consumers the ability to create café-quality experiences with confidence in their own kitchens.

• Sage just rolled deep into the UAE market with the Luxe Precision Brewer and Oracle Jet with cold functions—so tell us, what’s the vibe behind bringing such café-level tech into hospitality ecosystems here?
• The UAE is one of the most dynamic coffee landscapes in the world, where tradition and innovation exist side by side. Consumers here are highly discerning, well-traveled and passionate about food and drink, and their expectations at home are shaped by the quality they encounter in specialty cafés. Introducing products like the Luxe Precision Brewer and the Oracle Jet with cold functions is about making that same level of craftsmanship accessible in domestic kitchens.

Ultimately, it is about elevating the domestic ritual. A guest visiting your home in Dubai might expect their morning coffee to be just as refined as the one they would order in a café. By bringing this level of technology into the home, Sage helps people transform everyday routines into memorable experiences, whether it is a family breakfast or an evening with friends.

• Cold beverages have become central to menus in the Middle East’s climate. How do Sage’s latest innovations answer this growing hospitality trend?
• In the Middle East, cold coffee is not just a seasonal refreshment but a year-round staple. What began as a niche has quickly become a central part of home coffee culture. Consumers now expect more than a simple iced coffee; they want cold brews, iced lattes and flash-brewed pour-overs with the same flavor integrity and depth as hot coffee.

Our latest machines, particularly the Oracle Jet, were designed with this in mind. They do more than brew coffee that is later chilled; they deliver extractions tailored to cold beverages, ensuring that flavor remains vibrant and authentic. For home entertainers, this versatility is transformative. One machine can produce a perfect morning espresso, a refreshing iced latte in the afternoon and a clean, balanced cold brew for dinner guests. This flexibility allows people to explore their creativity, expand their repertoire and surprise their guests while keeping the process simple and consistent.

• Coffee in the Middle East isn’t just about caffeine—it’s about flavor notes, from earthy to savory. How do Sage machines ensure these subtler profiles are preserved?
• Coffee in this region is cultural, artisanal, and steeped in tradition. It’s less about the caffeine hit and more about the flavor journey. Preserving those nuances is at the heart of our engineering.  Sage machines employ technologies like PID temperature control, low-pressure pre-infusion, and adjustable flow rates to ensure precise and repeatable extractions. These details may sound technical, but they translate into something very tangible at home: the floral notes in an Ethiopian roast or the earthy richness of Yemeni beans can shine through rather than being lost.

We also focus heavily on grind precision and milk texturing. Many of the subtler flavor profiles are diminished when paired with poorly textured milk or an inconsistent grind. By controlling these variables, our machines protect the integrity of the bean and the craft of the roaster. For home users, that means confidence—whether they’re making a quick morning coffee or hosting a tasting evening, every cup lives up to its promise.

• What role do you see Sage playing in shaping coffee tasting menus—where coffee is paired with specific courses, desserts, or even savory dishes in fine dining?
• This is one of the most exciting trends we are seeing: coffee moving beyond the end of the meal and becoming part of the broader hospitality experience at home. More and more people want to explore coffee in new ways, treating it as something to be discovered, shared and celebrated.

Sage’s role is to make this exploration accessible. Our machines allow users to fine-tune every variable, from grind size to temperature to extraction time, so they can highlight flavor notes and create moments that feel truly personal. For some, this might mean experimenting with pairings, while for others it is simply about elevating the daily ritual.

For us, success is when coffee becomes more than a beverage. It becomes a tool for creativity, connection and shared experience in the home.