Time Hotels’ commercial growth

DUBAI-Ghassan Farhat and Kamal Abou Fares join UAE-headquartered hotel group in key operational and marketing positions as company looks to develop human resources talent to match ambitious expansion strategy
UAE-founded hospitality company, TIME Hotels Management, has announced the appointment of two new senior executives as it continues its ambitious growth path with a total of 10 operational hotels, resorts and hotel apartments in three countries, set to grow to 14 properties by the end of 2016.
First of the senior appointments is Ghassan Farhat, who joins the TIME Ruby Hotel Apartments Sharjah team in his capacity as Hotel Manager.
A 23-year Dubai hospitality veteran, he began his career in the UAE in 1992 as front office manager at the long-established Al Khaleej Palace Hotel, subsequently climbing the career ladder and moving into sales with key positions at a number of Dubai’s best-known properties, before transitioning into executive assistant manager level roles.
“Ghassan comes with two decades’ grounding in sales and marketing as well as direct operational experience and this has given him a well-rounded perspective of the business from top to bottom. This makes him the right man to take the reins in Sharjah as we fly the TIME Hotels flag across the Emirates,” said Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels.
A Lebanese national and US-certified hotel and restaurant diploma holder, Farhat is tasked with developing TIME Ruby Hotel Apartments’ position as a leading midscale destination in the emirate.
“Our prime location in the busy Al Khan area, close to the sea and within easy reach of Sharjah’s business and leisure facilities, gives us the opportunity to develop both market segments as well as showcase the brand attributes and appeal to a wider audience,” said Farhat.
Rounding out the new executive line-up is Kamal Abou Fares, who joins the corporate team as Marketing & Communications Director. Currently studying for his Masters in Strategic Marketing, Fares is a business graduate of the American University of Beirut and has worked for international hospitality chains, Radisson and Millennium Hotels, in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
“This is a pivotal role in TIME Hotels’ corporate framework with responsibility for the dissemination of key messages and communication of our ground-breaking environmental and CSR initiatives to the media, general public and partners across the region. Kamals’ enthusiasm and experience makes him the crucial lynchpin between our hotels and our guests,” said Awadalla.
Development of TIME Hotel’ knowledge capital and human resources talent is a priority for the rapidly expanding brand according to CEO, Mohamed Awadalla. “With demand for mid-scale hotels within the region growing more quickly than any other segment right now, and the increasingly budget-conscious mind-set of a large percentage of Middle Eastern business travellers, this puts us in pole position to reach out to customers across the region for whom value for money combined with quality, and the added bonus of the comfort factor of a ‘local’ brand, is key,” he said.
“And so as we grow our portfolio we are also investing time and resources in recruiting the best people for the brand,” he added.
-ENDS-
About TIME Hotels Management:
TIME Hotels Management are owned by the public shareholding company Gulf General Investment Company (GGICO) and Investment Group Private Ltd (IGPL).
TIME Hotels LLC currently manages the following properties:

• TIME Oak Hotel & Suites in Al Barsha, Dubai
• TIME Grand Plaza Hotel in Al Qusais, Dubai
• TIME Opal Hotel Apartments, Dubai
• TIME Crystal Hotel Apartments, Dubai
• TIME Topaz Hotel Apartments, Dubai
• TIME Ruby Hotel Apartments, Sharjah
• Pearl TIME Residence, Abu Dhabi
• TIME Renero Resort and Suites Azzurra- Hurghada Egypt
• Abu Dhabi, UAE - Meera TIME Residence
• Abu Dhabi, UAE - Zakher TIME Residence

Hotels in the pipeline:
• Wafi, Dubai, UAE - TIME Royal Hotel & Spa
• Luxor, Egypt - TIME TUT Hotel
• Doha, Qatar - TIME Rako Hotel
• Doha, Qatar – TIME Plaza Hotel