Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Having amassed a wealth of knowledge and prowess over the 25 years I have been working in the hospitality industry, I currently serve as Senior Vice President at Cool Inc, the Kingdom’s ultimate lifestyle curator redefining how food, travel, and cultural experiences are discovered and enjoyed in Saudi Arabia. Leading the charge in destination dining, private member’s clubs, and premium catering, I am spearheading the launch of globally celebrated concepts from cities like London, Los Angeles, and Paris, reshaping the Kingdom’s culinary and lifestyle landscape. Prior to joining Cool Inc, I managed private estates in Saudi Arabia as Director of Operations with Hill Robinson. My substantial expertise in luxury hospitality, developed across three continents, positioned me to oversee high-level service standards and bespoke lifestyle operations for ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Before that, I spent eight years with Atlantis Resorts, where I led 24 food and beverage outlets at Atlantis The Palm Dubai as Director of F&B. My exceptional leadership earned him a place on the pre-opening team of Atlantis The Royal as Executive Assistant Manager, F&B. There, I launched 17 restaurants and seven bars, including acclaimed concepts like Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and Jaleo by José Andrés.
Cool Inc is the Kingdom’s ultimate lifestyle curator, redefining how food, travel, and cultural experiences are discovered and enjoyed in Saudi Arabia. Blending global excellence with local authenticity, we connect tastemakers through distinctive concepts that elevate every moment. From destination dining with world-renowned restaurants to exclusive private member’s clubs, bespoke travel, and curated adventure experiences, Cool Inc sets new standards in modern living. Destination Dining Cool Inc is bringing the best of the world to the Kingdom for the very first time, partnering with award-winning restaurants from London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and Tokyo. From the elegance of Scott’s and Gymkhana in London, to the Hollywood legacy of Spago and the Italian heritage of Madeo in LA, the iconic charm of Raoul’s in NYC, and the cult classic Ferdi in Paris, these legendary names and many more are being reimagined for Saudi Arabia. Whether in flagship destinations or through high-energy pop-ups, we’re reshaping the Kingdom’s culinary landscape. In 2024, we also launched Cool Inc Catering, redefining premium catering in Saudi Arabia. Offering fully integrated experiences, Cool Inc Catering delivers tailored culinary solutions paired with bespoke entertainment packages that elevate every occasion, from private celebrations to high-profile events. Private Member’s Clubs Our member’s clubs offer the ultimate in curated connection, spaces where Saudi’s most inspiring people meet. In beautifully designed venues tailored for creativity and comfort, members gather to share ideas, socialize, and stay ahead of global trends in lifestyle and culture. Bespoke Travel by ROAM. Adventure by ebda. From curated club culture and luxury travel to terrain-based adventures, Cool Inc crafts original experiences for the curious, the cultured, and the bold. If it’s iconic, innovative, and worth your attention—it’s at Cool Inc, first.
Hill Robinson is a premier global provider of luxury asset management services, specializing in superyachts, private aviation, and exclusive estates. Established in 2000 by Nick Hill and Niall Robinson, the company has grown to operate 13 international offices, including a significant presence in Saudi Arabia with locations in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Jeddah Marina . Superyacht Services Hill Robinson offers comprehensive yacht management solutions tailored to the unique needs of each client. Hill Robinson In Saudi Arabia, Hill Robinson has established itself as a leading yachting company, offering expert advice and support for yachts planning to explore the Kingdom's cruising grounds. They have been instrumental in facilitating yacht entries into NEOM's luxury island resort, Sindalah, and have been recognized with the issuance of Saudi Arabia’s first Maritime Tour Operator Licence and Yachts Chartering Licence . Private Aviation Hill Robinson's aviation division provides end-to-end solutions for private air travel, covering all types of aircraft, including helicopters, fixed-wing planes, and amphibious aircraft. Their services include aircraft procurement, charter, operational management, crew recruitment, and maintenance . The division manages a fleet of nine aircraft and collaborates with partners like LunaJets to enhance their service offerings . Private Estates While specific details about Hill Robinson's private estate services are limited in the provided information, the company is known for extending its meticulous management approach to exclusive estates, ensuring that every aspect of luxury living is handled with the same level of precision and care as their yacht and aviation services.
Atlantis, The Royal and The Royal Atlantis Residences are redefining the concept of international luxury living. Located on the crescent of The Palm, next to the iconic Atlantis, The Palm resort, Atlantis The Royal will deliver sky high homes with architectural and design masterpieces that have never been seen before, conceived by the world’s leading architects, designers and artists. With the contemporary living spaces offering uninterrupted views of the ocean and the Dubai city skyline, residents will also be able to enjoy a variety of unique amenities including, soaring private gardens with their own pools, an awe-inspiring rooftop infinity pool suspended 90 metres above The Palm, relaxing private beaches and world-class restaurants with award-winning celebrity chefs.
Operating 28 Food & Beverage outlets with over 1,100 employees from casual dining, fine dining and celebrity chef’s restaurants such as Nobu, Ronda Locatelli, Hakkasan and Bread Street Kitchen. Additional responsibility as resort “Duty Senior Manager”. - Developed food and beverage strategy consisting of a strong internal organizational structure, focused on innovation, quality and consistency. - Implemented a Marketing and Business plan for F&B outlets. Strengthen the growth and innovation strategy taking into consideration the Dubai dynamic and setting goals to be the market leaders in the region. - Developed a new ISO standard program to enable Restaurant Managers and senior teams to access and update data faster and more accurately. This system assisted to achieve an “A” grade standard for the resort. - Monitor guest services standards and guest satisfaction surveys. Implemented a new “data collection bank” for guests feedback and improved the action plan processes. - Implementation of successful activations throughout the outlets to generate additional revenue streams, gain additional Market share from competitors and tap into new resident markets. Develop relationships with key DMC’s to reach targeted markets for each venue in the resort. developed a new F&B sales team for the department. - Special events Sandance, Live @ Atlantis, New Years Eve Gala Dinner, Cirque de Cuisine - Lead new outlet concepts such as Bread Street Kitchen from Gordon Ramsay Group, Hakkasan, Wavehouse, White Beach. - Part of the F&B development team for The Royal Atlantis project, new concepts and vision. - Responsible for the colleague’s development, recruiting and training. Successful implementation of a “service academy”. - Awarded “Director of the Year 2015” - Leaders in Food & Beverage Awards 2017 - F&B Director of the year - Winner
Responsible for catering & banquet operations (VIP events with heads of state, royal families and word leading corporations) - Developing new strategies to increase departments revenues achieving a growth of 32% from 2011 to 2012 - Developing marketing initiatives to drive the growth of the department - Revenue forecasting for the catering department and F&B outlets - Strategic planning for the Royal Ballroom and banqueting venues renovation project, spearheaded the entire project from conceptualization through completion - Enforced and implemented effective controls of food, beverage, banqueting expenses and labor costs - Support the outlets managers in overseeing the different functions coordinating, supervising, and directing all aspects of the F&B outlets - Drive innovative business plans and promotional events to increase revenue - Supervised managers and staff including performance reviews and progressive discipline when necessary - Coordinated marketing and promotions with marketing department and operational teams as well as repair and maintenance - Generating SOP’s for staff training and monitoring standardization of practices - Maintained a system of reporting daily sales, production, payroll, inventories - Planned menus, item research, development, implementation and design with food cost analysis - Monitored compliance with all HACCAP regulations - Negotiated with contractors and vendors order equipment and products - Staff recruitment, orientation and training - Conducts departmental meetings as required to communicate effectively with all F&B staff
Mandarin Grill + Bar - One Michelin Star 2009 - Duty Food & Beverage Manager overseeing all outlets - Increased Synovate scores (guest satisfaction survey) from 86% in 2006 to 92% in 2009 compared to company 90% standard requirement - Increased business turnover by 27% from 2006 to 2009 - Increased average spend per head by 33% from 2006 to 2009 - Increased HACCP departmental score from 87% in 2006 to 96% in 2009 - Supporting corporate programmes (special events) - Personnel training and development of key restaurant teams The Krug Room - One of only 3 in the world - Enhancing the brand - Enhancing guest loyalty and increasing the repeat guest ratio - Attracting more guests by targeting new customers - Maintaining high visibility in the local community - Encouraging additional purchases, thus increasing average check
- Development and implementation of a successful Marketing & Business Plan - Identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) - Turned loss making operation around in 12 months - Development of key focus for business - Reduced staff turnover by 30% - Created a destination bar for a younger generation