Hospitality
ALEPH HOSPITALITY STRENGTHENS GLOBAL LEADERSHIP AND REGIONAL PLATFORM AS IT TARGETS 100 HOTELS BY 2029

Aleph Hospitality, the largest independent hotel management company in the Middle East and Africa, has further strengthened its leadership team and operating platform through regional offices as it enters a new phase of accelerated growth.
With more than 50 hotels in operation and over 30 properties in the pipeline across 23 countries and 39 cities, Aleph Hospitality continues to scale its capabilities to support owners and partners across the region. As part of this expansion, the company has appointed several senior leaders at its offices in Dubai and Casablanca.
Aline Barhouche has been appointed Chief HR Officer, leading the company’s people strategy across its growing portfolio. She oversees leadership development, talent management, culture, and governance while working closely with the executive team and hotel leadership to build strong leadership pipelines and support local teams. Aline brings 23 years of Human Resources experience across Oceania, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Estelle Chambost has moved into the position of Vice President, Learning & Development after ten years with the company. In her new role, she leads the strategy to build a strong learning culture across the organisation, focusing on developing future leaders and leveraging technology and partnerships to deliver scalable development programmes. Estelle has 27 years’ experience in hospitality and emerging leaders programmes.
Marc Matar joins as Vice President, Food & Beverage with a mandate to develop Aleph Hospitality’s F&B division into a key driver of growth and value creation. His focus includes innovation, operational excellence, and owner-focused profitability across Africa and the Middle East. Marc has 25 years of experience in food and beverage, operations, and strategy across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
As part of its strategy to build strong local leadership and operate closer to its hotels and owners, Aleph Hospitality has also begun rolling out new regional offices. In addition to the one already open in Riyadh, a new office is being set up in Casablanca, Morocco, with additional offices planned in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Cape Town, South Africa; and Nairobi, Kenya.
Based in Casablanca and leading the company’s operations in North Africa, Abdellah Essonni has been appointed Regional Vice President for North Africa. With 35 years of experience in hospitality and real estate across four continents, Abdellah oversees the strategic, operational, and financial performance of the region’s portfolio, while driving market expansion, partnerships, and new management and franchise agreements. His appointment reflects Aleph Hospitality’s strategy of empowering experienced regional leaders with full accountability for performance, development and owner relationships.
Bani Haddad, Founder and Co-CEO of Aleph Hospitality said: “Our continued growth reflects the strength of our business model and the increasing demand from hotel owners for an experienced independent operator in the region. By strengthening our leadership team and expanding our regional presence, we are building the capabilities needed to support our next stage of growth and deliver long-term value for our owners.”
Having reached its long-standing goal of operating 50 hotels by 2025, Aleph Hospitality has now set a new milestone: operating 100 hotels by the end of 2029, reinforcing its position as the largest independent hotel management company in the Middle East and Africa.
Hospitality
Keeta Kicks Off the First Keeta Karnival Across All Seven Emirates
Keeta, the international on-demand food delivery platform, is kicking off Keeta Karnival, marking the first edition of its signature food celebration in the UAE. Running from 15 October to 31 October 2026, the campaign will connect customers with thousands of restaurants across all seven emirates through special offers, limited-time deals, competitions and on-ground experiences.
True to its promise of “Epic Deals, Endless Cravings”, Keeta Karnival invites customers to explore more of the UAE’s food scene, from neighbourhood favourites to restaurants they have yet to try. During the peak promotional period from 15 to 31 October, customers can enjoy discounts of up to 50% at participating restaurants, while restaurant partners gain more ways to reach new customers.

“Food brings people together in the UAE, and the variety of restaurants here is remarkable,” said Lucas Xie, General Manager of Keeta UAE. “Keeta Karnival is our way of celebrating that variety, giving customers more reasons to try something new while helping participating restaurants reach new audiences. As we enter our second year in the UAE, the campaign reflects our long-term commitment to the customers and restaurant partners we serve across the country.”
More ways to discover and enjoy
The campaign’s offers are brought together in the Keeta Karnival hub within the Keeta app. Keeta Around You will spotlight curated restaurant picks across UAE cities, with up to 50% off at participating restaurants. Flash Deals will offer selected deals at AED 19 with free delivery, Monday to Friday between 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm.
From 18 to 31 October, Keeta Week – The Karnival Edition will offer 50% off the full menu, including promotional items, plus free delivery at participating restaurants. The celebration also takes to the skies with Keeta Drone, extending the Karnival promotion to its service areas in Dubai Silicon Oasis. Customers at Dubai Land, Rochester Institute of Technology, Dubai and Dubai Silicon Oasis Headquarters can enjoy the campaign’s offers through drone delivery, bringing together food discovery, value and delivery innovation.
Every eligible order above AED 100 placed between 15 October and 14 November will also be automatically entered into a draw to have the chance to win a Jetour T2, with the winner to be announced on 16 November. Customers paying with eligible Emirates Islamic Visa cards can also save up to AED 20 on their orders until 1 November.
Bringing Keeta Karnival into the community
Alongside the in-app campaign, Keeta Karnival is coming to life across the UAE. At Global Village in Dubai, the Keeta booth at Happiness Plaza 2 will host games, voucher giveaways and restaurant sampling over two weekends, 16–18 and 23–25 October. Over the opening weekend, visitors to Al Forsan Mall in Abu Dhabi can also join interactive games and win vouchers.
By combining restaurant discovery with experiences beyond the app, Keeta Karnival gives participating restaurants more ways to connect with customers, building on Keeta’s presence across all seven emirates and its long-term commitment to the UAE’s food scene.
Keeta Karnival runs from 15 October to 31 October 2026. Customers can explore participating restaurants, offers and activities in the Keeta Karnival hub in the Keeta app, available on the App Store and Play Store.
Hospitality
AL RAHA BEACH RESORT & SPA ABU DHABI INTRODUCES FOUR NEW EXPERIENCES TO ENJOY THIS SEASON



As the cooler months arrive, Al Raha Beach Resort & Spa, Abu Dhabi is giving residents and visitors four new reasons to step out and enjoy the season. With a line-up of experiences across Black Pearl, La Piscine and Azur Restaurant, guests can look forward to everything from lively ladies’ nights and golden-hour gatherings to relaxed al fresco evenings and sophisticated jazz nights, with packages starting from just AED 85 per person.
Black Pearl Ladies’ Night – Every Tuesday, Starting 20 October
Tuesday evenings are getting a little more exciting at Black Pearl with the introduction of its new Ladies’ Night. Perfect for catching up with friends or enjoying a midweek evening out, the experience brings together good company, a lively atmosphere and a little midweek indulgence. For AED 85 per person, ladies can enjoy free-flowing house beverages accompanied by a bar bites platter, making it an ideal excuse to gather the girls and enjoy the evening. The offer is available every Tuesday from 7 PM to 10 PM.
La Piscine Sundowners – Every Friday, Starting 16 October
Friday evenings are all about golden-hour moments at La Piscine. As the sun begins to set, guests can unwind by the pool, enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and ease into the weekend with refreshing drinks and delicious bites. Priced at AED 99 per person, the Sundowners package includes two selected drinks and a bar bites platter, offering a laid-back way to enjoy Abu Dhabi’s cooler evenings. The offer is available every Friday from 5 PM to 7 PM.
Jazz Nights at Black Pearl – Every Thursday, Starting 22 October
For those who enjoy a more sophisticated evening, Black Pearl introduces Jazz Nights, bringing together smooth jazz, whiskey and cigars in an intimate setting. Whether it’s an after-work gathering or a relaxed night out, the experience offers a refined way to unwind as the week draws to a close. Priced at AED 99 per person, the package includes two selected drinks and one selected cigar. Jazz Nights take place every Thursday from 7 PM to 10 PM.
Azur Al Fresco Aperitivo – Every Saturday, Starting 17 October
With the return of outdoor dining season, Azur Restaurant invites guests to embrace the Italian tradition of aperitivo with its new Al Fresco Aperitivo experience. Designed for leisurely early evenings, the offering is perfect for catching up with friends, enjoying the pleasant weather and unwinding over drinks and light bites. For AED 99 per person, guests can enjoy two selected drinks accompanied by an antipasti platter. The experience is available every Saturday from 5 PM to 7 PM.
With these four new offerings, Al Raha Beach Resort & Spa Abu Dhabi brings together a variety of experiences to suit every occasion. Whether it’s a midweek ladies’ night, a relaxed Friday sundowner, an evening of jazz or a Saturday aperitivo, the resort offers plenty of ways to make the most of the season.
Hospitality
From the MICHELIN Stage to Delhi Street Food: Chef Pradeep Khullar and Saubhagi Veer Launch One Dish Venture – Bhaturewala in Dubai


After years of building restaurant experiences and working in Dubai’s fine-dining hospitality industry, Chef Pradeep Khullar and Saubhagi Veer have partnered up to turn their attention to their own passion venture, Bhaturewala — a focused One-Dish food concept dedicated to the flavours of Delhi.
Following Chef Pradeep Khullar and Saubhagi Veer work at Nazaara, which was selected for the MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2026, the duo are embracing something deliberately simpler: bringing Delhi-style chole bhature and mutton bhature to Dubai through a takeaway and car-dining concept built around a love for the food, rather than an expansive restaurant format. Opening on Friday, October 16, at Shop 7, Lamcy A Building in Oud Metha, Bhaturewala will serve a tightly focused menu featuring Bhature in two signature flavours – Chole & Mutton accompanied by lassi. There will be no sprawling menu, conventional dining room or full-service restaurant setup. Instead, the focus will remain firmly on the food, with customers able to collect their orders or enjoy them in their cars.


The concept will operate on Friday evenings and on Saturday and Sunday mornings and evenings, with a limit of just 200 plates per day.
For Khullar, the venture is a personal tribute to the city where his culinary journey and love for food took shape.
“Delhi is not just where I grew up; it is a part of who I am as a chef. Some of my strongest food memories are rooted in the streets, neighbourhoods and flavours of that city. Having spent years cooking in fine dining, I wanted to bring something much more personal to Dubai — a little piece of the Delhi I know and love, right here in the neighbourhood I call home. Bhaturewala is my way of sharing those memories through food that is honest, familiar and full of character. It’s not about reinventing Delhi street food; it’s about doing justice to it,” said Chef Pradeep Khullar, Co-founder of Bhaturewala.
For Veer, whose experience spans restaurant leadership and brand building, the opportunity lay in creating something distinctive in a city where chole bhature is already widely available.
“Dubai already has plenty of places serving chole bhature, and we never set out to be just another one. We wanted to build a concept around a simple belief: you don’t need a hundred things on a menu if you can do two things exceptionally well. Specialisation is at the heart of Bhaturewala — getting the food right, staying true to what we set out to serve, and making every plate count. The limited menu and 200-plate-a-day approach are deliberate. We want people to come to us because they know exactly what they’re coming for, and they know we care about getting it right. For us, this is about choosing focus over scale, and quality over quantity from day one,” added Saubhagi Veer, Co-founder of Bhaturewala.
The idea for Bhaturewala took shape after years of conversations, planning and the familiar refrain of kabhi toh karenge — someday, we will do it. The founders have now decided to take that step, building a business of their own on their own terms, alongside their established careers in hospitality.
The approach is intentionally uncomplicated: a focused menu, a limited number of plates, and a casual, neighbourhood-friendly way for customers to enjoy Delhi-inspired food without the ceremony of a traditional restaurant experience.
At its heart, Bhaturewala is guided by one simple thought: Dilli Se Direct, bringing a taste of Delhi to Dubai, straight from the city’s food traditions to the neighbourhood they call home.
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