IHG® Hotels & Resorts welcomes Haitham Mattar as Managing Director of India, Middle East & Africa (IMEA)

Denham, United Kingdom, 2021-Apr-09 — /Travel PR News/ — IHG® Hotels & Resorts , one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has announced the appointment of Haitham Mattar as Managing Director of India, Middle East & Africa (IMEA), effective 18 April 2021.

Haitham is a well-known industry veteran in the IMEA region, with over 25 years of experience in hospitality and tourism and an outstanding network across the industry. In his new role with IHG, Haitham will take on a broad leadership agenda to drive IHG’s business in the Middle East, Africa and the South West Asia region, covering both development and operations responsibilities across a portfolio of 165 operational hotels and a strong pipeline of over 100 properties, representing IHG’s brands across luxury and lifestyle, premium, essentials and suites collections.

Haitham Mattar joins IHG Hotels & Resorts from the Saudi Ministry of Tourism where, as Senior Advisor and a member of the Executive Leadership Committee, he contributed to the development and implementation of Saudi’s sustainable tourism strategy to become one of the world’s top tourist destinations. Before then, Haitham spent four years as CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, reporting to His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. Guided by His Highness’ vision, Haitham was responsible for developing and implementing the first ever tourism strategy to position Ras Al Khaimah as a global adventure tourism destination, connecting the world to the emirates’ natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage.

Haitham previously spent 11 years at IHG Hotels & Resorts from 2000 to 2011 in various operations, commercial and sales & marketing positions based in IMEA. In his new role, Haitham will be based in IHG’s Dubai office and will report to Kenneth Macpherson, Chief Executive Officer, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa (EMEAA).

Commenting on the announcement, Kenneth Macpherson, Chief Executive Officer, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa, IHG said: “I am very pleased to welcome Haitham back to IHG and lead our business in IMEA at such a crucial time for the travel and tourism industry. Haitham has a wealth of experience within the sector and has been at the forefront of several important strategic initiatives in the region over the last decade. I am confident that his knowledge, diverse experience, along with cross-continent and local expertise will be invaluable, as we look to continue driving our recovery.”

Haitham Mattar said: “I am delighted to join the IHG family once again and have an opportunity to lead such a diverse region with enormous potential. The tourism and hospitality landscape in IMEA has transformed significantly in recent years, providing us with a tremendous opportunity to offer world-class hospitality options to both domestic and international travellers. Building on IHG’s strong performance track record and growth plans, I look forward to working with the team, as well as our partners, as we look ahead to the next chapter of travel in the region.”

IHG currently operates 165 hotels across 8 brands in India, Middle East, and Africa including: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, voco and Six Senses with a further 102 in the development pipeline due to open within the next three to five years.

**Numbers as of December 31st, 2020

About IHG

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 16 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has nearly 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 due to open over the next five years.

• Luxury and Lifestyle: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo
• Premium: HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, EVEN Hotels, voco Hotels
• Essentials: Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, avid hotels
• Suites: Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Candlewood Suites

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG’s hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewards.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter

For further information please contact:

Ankita Chopra
ankita.chopra@ihg.com
+971 4 213 6043

Parisa Chum
parisa.chum@ihg.com
+971 4213 6067

Source: IHG

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