THREE MAKKAH HOTELS TAKE TOP AWARDS AT SAUDI ARABIA’S INTER-HOTEL CULINARY COMPETITION

Recognised worldwide as one of the Holy Cities of Islam, Makkah is also finding a name for itself in the culinary world as three of its leading hotels have been awarded as the best hotel kitchens in Saudi Arabia.

Chefs from Anjum Hotel Makkah, Swissôtel Al Maqam Makkah, and Le Méridien Towers Makkah were awarded bronze, silver and gold places respectively, at the Kingdom’s second annual ‘Inter-Hotel Culinary Competition – Mystery Box Challenge’.

The competition, which took place in Jeddah as part of the 2018 edition of The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia last month, witnessed its most competitive line-up to date – with eleven kitchens from some of the Kingdom’s leading hotels cooking up a storm in a bid to be crowned champion.

Pictured: Chefs cooking at the Inter-Hotel Culinary Competition – Mystery Box Challenge

Endorsed by WORLDCHEFS, the Saudi Arabian Chefs’ Association and Culinary Partner, Unilever Food Solutions, it is the only event of its kind in the Kingdom celebrating the excellent standards of its hotel restaurants.

Each participating team was given three hours to whip-up four courses using ‘Mystery Box’ ingredients only revealed to them once they stepped inside the kitchen, the final dishes presented to a panel of judges from WORLDCHEFS (The World Association of Chefs’ Societies).

The winning menu for Le Méridien Towers Makkah included a ‘Mixed Bean Salad’ for the starter, ‘Traditional Sweet Corn Soup’ for the soup, ‘Stuffed Chicken Breast with Peaches’ as the main course and an ‘Orange Crème Brulee with Caramelized Pineapple, Banana and Crispy Puff’ for dessert.

Upon winning the gold medal, Anas Mohammed Ayyub Ansari, Head Chef at Le Méridien Towers Makkah said: “This feeling is indescribable – all chefs dream to be crowned as Saudi Arabia’s top hotel kitchen and we are very proud to win the gold for our hotel, Le Méridien Towers Makkah.

“The judges commented that they appreciated how we kept our dishes modern in presentation, maintaining the authenticity of the dish yet the taste spoke volumes about how passionate we are about our food.”

Pictured: The Le Méridien Towers Makkah team are presented the gold trophy, medals and certificates from the WORLDCHEFS judges 

Chef Yasser Jad, Founder & President of the Saudi Arabian Chefs’ Association (SARCA) and Manager Food & Beverages at Saudi Airlines, chaired the jury, a line-up of expert local and international chefs.

Jad commented: “This year we raised the level of difficulty of the competition significantly by limiting the number of items in the ‘Mystery Box’, with chicken the only protein provided, for example.

“This ensured that teams had to be creative in order to give their own signature take on each dish. The winning team from Le Méridien Towers Makkah stood out with their chicken main stuffed with peaches, a unique, Mediterranean take on the dish. This team was very professional and managed to create flavorsome dishes with the limited ingredients available.

“Other chefs stuffed the chicken with dates which maintained an Arabic touch. All of the menus were very impressive and to a high standard. We look forward to returning to The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia next year with a more challenging competition format and new ingredients for the chefs to work with, in order to raise the bar even further.”

Pictured: The winning team take their awards back to their hotel in Makkah

The Inter-Hotel Culinary Competition will return for its third edition at The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2019, taking place across three days – 21-23^rd April 2019 – at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events.

Find out more at: www.thehotelshowsaudiarabia.com

INTER-HOTEL CULINARY COMPETITION RETURNS TO SAUDI ARABIA THIS WEEK

The ‘Inter-Hotel Culinary Competition – Mystery Box Challenge’ is returning to Saudi Arabia this week with a bigger line up of hotels and resorts for its 2018 edition, battling it out to be recognised as the country’s finest hotel kitchen.

After its highly successful debut in 2017 which saw Jeddah’s Mövenpick Resort Al Nawras cook up a storm to be crowned champion, the competition will now remain a central annual feature of The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia and run across its three days – 10-12^th April 2018 – at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events.

Some of the finest hotels from across the Kingdom are set to take part this year including: Hotel Pullman Zamzam Makkah, InterContinental Jeddah, Le Méridien Towers Makkah, Hotel Mercure Jeddah Al Hamra, and Swissotel Al Maqam Makkah.

Endorsed by WORLDCHEFS, the Saudi Arabian Chefs’ Association and Culinary Partner, Unilever Food Solutions, the competition is the only of its kind in the Kingdom and its organisers’ have raised the bar this year to provide an even more challenging experience for competing F&B teams.

“In 2018 we will continue with the ‘Mystery Box’ concept, but in order to increase the degree of difficulty for the chefs we are reducing the available cooking time and adding in some more tricky ingredients – with a focus on healthy eating,” said Chef Yasser Jad – Founder and President of the Saudi Arabian Chefs’ Association (SARCA) and Food and Beverage Manager at Saudi Airlines – who will chair the panel of judges, a line-up of international chefs based outside the hotel environment, to ensure impartial judging.

Each of the teams will be given 2-3 hours to whip-up four courses using ‘Mystery Box’ ingredients only revealed to them once they have stepped inside the kitchen.

Pictured: some of the dishes prepared by the hotel chefs at the Inter-hotel Culinary Competition 2017

Jad added: “To cook an impressive, tasty four-course meal from unfamiliar ingredients is a challenging feat for any chef.

“This competition is so important for chefs in the Kingdom today. There is a wealth of new hotel and restaurant concepts opening with so many international dining options on the agenda. Hotel chefs need to be prepared to handle a wider range of new ingredients to cater to the tastes of both domestic and global travelers.

“More people are traveling across Saudi than ever before. A Japanese guest, for example, staying at a local, traditional Arabic hotel might ask for something with more of an oriental flavor that’s not on the menu. Today’s chefs need to be versatile to cater to the needs of international palettes. More unusual takes on the items in the Mystery Box and a real focus on flavor – which makes up the largest part of the scoring at 50% – is what will set the winning team apart from the rest of the competition.”

The judges will sample each dish created, before crowning the winners based on the WORLDCHEFS-approved judging criteria namely: fixed time (0-5 points), preparations and processing of raw materials and hygiene (0-10 points), correct professional preparation (0-25 points), organization and innovative presentation (0-10 points), and taste (0-50 points).

Pictured: some of the participating hotel chefs present their food to the expert judges at WORLDCHEFS during the Inter-Hotel Culinary Competition 2017

Speaking about the Mystery Box concept – made famous by various international food television programmes – Jad added: “Cooking TV shows such as ‘Master Chef Arabia’ and ‘Top Chef’ – which I have personally participated in as jury judge – undoubtedly encourage amateur and professional chefs of all ages and classes not to fear the audience and to be themselves given the challenges they face so as to develop their skills. This will also help them develop the necessary personality traits to become one of the respected, world-class chefs in the future.”

The Inter-Hotel Culinary Competition – Mystery Box Challenge will take place throughout The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia, 10-12^th April 2018 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events, with a series of heats each day until the winner is revealed on the final day of the event (12^th April 2018).

Now entering its 6^th year, the Saudi Arabian edition of Dubai-based The Hotel Show unites thousands of hotel and restaurant professionals for three days of business and networking each year.

For more information on The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2018 and how to register to attend for free, please visit: www.thehotelshowsaudiarabia.com

Pictured: last year’s winners of the debut Inter-Hotel Culinary Competition – Mystery Box Challenge from the Mövenpick Resort Al Nawras Jeddah with the expert judging panel from WORLDCHEFS, and representatives from The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia and sponsors RAK Porcelain 

EXPERT CHEFS TO DEMONSTRATE LATEST TRENDS IN F&B IN THE KINGDOM AT HOTEL SHOW

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia is returning to Jeddah for its 6^th annual edition next week and various live kitchens will be set up across the show floor demonstrating the latest local and international products and trends in F&B.

The Inter-Hotel Culinary Competition is returning for its highly-anticipated second edition, endorsed by WORLDCHEFS, The Saudi Arabian Chefs Association and Culinary Partner Unilever Food Solutions. Meanwhile Unilevers’ stand will have its own dedicated kitchen where various new products and recipes will be revealed to the Saudi market for live demonstrations.

Chef Jean Van Der Westhuizen, Executive Chef Middle East, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who will be cooking up a storm at the Unilever showcase at the event, commented: “The Saudi food industry grows differently to other markets. There has always been a growing popularity for importing international brands into the Kingdom and we can see that these have started to adapt more closely to the unique needs of Saudi Arabian diners.

“We want to cater to the specific needs of the customers in HORECA and their guests. Being at The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia gives us the opportunity to interact with the industry to identify their needs and wants, and share the latest local and international trends and insights.

“We are seeing that owners and managers of high-end hotels, restaurants, and business class travel are searching to enhance their guest experience through high quality natural flavors, and they also care about every detail of service. Pure Leaf, a premium tea brand, popular in the United States, is a great fit for this purpose.

“Less sugar-based beverages are increasingly important. Thus our launch of Lipton Freshly Brewed Ice Tea offers great alternatives to soft drinks to the more health conscious diner.”

Pictured: Chef Jean Van Der Westhuizen, Executive Chef Middle East, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Unilever Food Solutions will be cooking up a storm at the Unilever stand at The Hotel Show in Jeddah

Unilever will also use The Hotel Show as a platform to highlight its latest innovation in its foods portfolio with ‘Knorr Tomato Powder’ – a product which transform 88 dehydrated tomatoes into 6.7 litres of rich tomato sauce in just one minute. The sauce is an innovative solution for Chefs delivering less wastage, more yield per pack, savings with storage space, and provides a highly versatile ingredient for use in many dishes.

The Unilever Food Solutions team will also share its latest, specialist advice for Ramadan at the Jeddah event, focusing on inspirational buffet recipes, monitoring dish consumption to manage costs, and reducing waste, to name a few.

See the latest trends in food and beverages in the Kingdom at The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2018 at the Unilever Food Solutions stand E98 and the second edition of The Inter-Hotel Culinary Competition – featuring the Chefs working behind the scenes at some of the Kingdom’s leading hotels – 10-12^th April 2018 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events.

Find out more and register to attend The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2018 for free at: www.thehotelshowsaudiarabia.com

 

30,000 NEW HOTEL ROOMS FOR SAUDI ARABIA IN 2017

Saudi Arabia will see a record 68 new hotels and 29,033 hotel rooms open across its major cities in 2017, a new report has revealed.

Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar and Makkah are set to be the Kingdom’s busiest areas for hospitality development, according to the Saudi Arabia Hotel Construction Overview carried out by TOPHOTELPROJECTS, prepared exclusively for The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2017.

Major new hotels forecast to open throughout the Kingdom this year include Assila Hotel Rocco Forte (Q1 2017), TIME Qurayyat Hotel (Q2 2017), Nobu Hotel Riyadh (Q2 2017), Swiss-Belhotel Al Khobar (Q4 2017) and the highly-anticipated Abraj Kudai Towers, which will become the world’s biggest hotel when it opens its 10,000 rooms in Q4, 2017.

“The hospitality landscape in Saudi Arabia is developing at pace, and this is a particularly exciting year,” commented John Suzara, Event Manager of The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2017, taking place in Jeddah in April. “The largest hotel in the world – Abraj Kudai – is forecast to open in Makkah, whilst new brands are entering the market, harnessing the Kingdom’s potential at a time of major growth for its tourism, leisure and hospitality industries in the wake of the launch of Saudi Arabia’s National Vision 2030.”

Nobu Hospitality and Rocco Forte Hotels are international brands that will enter the Saudi Arabian market for the first time this year.

Rocco Forte Hotels’ Assila Hotel, opening on 12^th March 2017, is the luxury hotel group’s only property in the Middle East. Located in the heart of Jeddah it boasts 147 rooms, 63 suites, and a further 94 residential suites, spread across two large towers. The residences are the first fully serviced residential apartments in Saudi Arabia.

Pictured: Rocco Forte Hotels’ Assila Hotel, opening in Jeddah on 12th March 2017

Speaking of the world-renowned hotel group’s decision to add Jeddah to its impressive roster of international properties, which includes hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh, Munich and Rome, Christian Renz, Vice President Sales at Rocco Forte Hotels, said: “It was important for us to have representation in the Middle East, as we have such a large client base coming from this region, particularly from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

“KSA has a lot to offer and I hope that the country will further open itself for international tourism,” added Renz. “The incredible history, art, culinary culture and friendliness of people is an experience which I am sure a lot of travelers would and will appreciate. Jeddah itself is also a very fast developing city; we have seen much growth over the last few years. We are very optimistic that Assila Hotel will soon be well known as one of the best hotels in the region.”

Pictured: The pool at the Assila Spa at the new Rocco Forte Hotels’ Assila Hotel

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah, is celebrating its 5^th edition in 2017 as the event grows alongside the thriving hospitality market in the Kingdom.

Taking place 4-6^th April 2017 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events, it provides industry professionals working on the hundreds of ongoing hospitality projects across the Kingdom with the ultimate opportunity to source everything needed to build, develop and maintain a hotel or restaurant.

Popular sectors this year have been identified by the show’s organisers MICE Arabia and co-organisers dmg events as technology, interiors, and HORECA. Exhibitors are set to descend on Jeddah from across the Kingdom and around the world. Big names already confirmed for the three-day event include Spanish providers of electronic locking and guest access systems, Onity, Cisa from Italy, Kuwaiti furniture specialists Banta, and Saudi Arabia’s Juffali Technical Equipment Company.

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia is co-located for the first time in 2017 with Stone & Surface Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s only exhibition dedicated to connecting interior and exterior surface material with the decision makers responsible for specifying and procuring them.

To find out more and register to attend for free at: www.thehotelshowsaudiarabia.com

BREAKING NEWS: SHIFT TO MID-MARKET HOTEL DEVELOPMENT IN SAUDI ARABIA TO BOOST TOURISM

The hospitality industry in Saudi Arabia is witnessing a significant shift towards the development of mid-range hotels in 2016, according to a new report.

With a market dominated by 5-star hotels, the new report from TOPHOTELPROJECTS commissioned by The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2016 reveals that six out of the top ten brands with the most development currently underway throughout the Kingdom are classed as mid-market.

This includes: Park Inn by Radisson (1,433 rooms); Hilton Garden Inn (1,155 rooms); Four Points by Sheraton (1,890 rooms); Aloft Hotels (627 rooms); Mercure (528 rooms); and Staybridge Suites (538 rooms).

Basel Talal, District Director of The Rezidor Hotel Group Saudi Arabia, set to open two Park Inn by Radisson Hotels in Makkah by 2017, said: “Saudi-Arabia is a key focus country for our group offering considerable growth potential and we are committed to the development of the Kingdom, which is underpinned by a genuine focus on economic diversification by the Government. We have a very ambitious growth plan in KSA, with a pipeline of 17 hotels and 3,780 rooms over the next five years.”

Carlos Khneisser, Vice President of Development, Hilton Worldwide Middle East & North Africa added: “While KSA traditionally boasts a luxury hospitality offering, we are now welcoming an increasingly diversified pool of guests from domestic and international markets – and it’s important that we evolve our proposition to match their mixed demands. This shift has seen the rise of mid-market hotel options, not only in KSA but across the region. In Q4 2015, three Hilton Garden Inn hotels opened in Dubai – which joined two Hilton Garden Inn properties in Saudi Arabia, to attract a whole new segment of guests eager to experience the world-class destinations in this region at an affordable price.”

Adding to the mid-market pipeline, Accor’s 4-star Novotel (450 rooms) and Adagio Aparthotel (77 rooms) and 3-star Ibis & ibis Styles (463 rooms) will open in Saudi Arabia in 2016 and 2017.

Holiday Inn, part of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), is one of the group’s largest brands in Saudi Arabia with 11 hotels currently open (2,281 rooms). In 2015, IHG opened two new Holiday Inn hotels, and also signed two new hotels including the world’s largest, Holiday Inn Makkah – Abraaj Al Tayseer.

Laurent A. Voivenel, CEO of Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH), a hotel management company with properties in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East will speak on “Tapping into mid-market opportunities” at The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2016’s Vision Conference in May. He said: “Saudi Arabia is a land of opportunity both in terms of domestic and inbound tourism and is central to our expansion strategy.”

“Continued development of leisure and commercial areas as well as massive investment in tourism infrastructure in key cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, is fuelling the demand for affordable accommodation. The mid-market segment is currently under-supplied, pushing the demand for quality serviced apartments as well as 3 and 4-star properties,” Voivenel continued. “The authorities are working on a long-term strategy focused on encouraging business travel as well as economic diversification that in turn will contribute to development of the hospitality sector, catering to all segments of the market. Given the growth in the domestic and international visitor numbers, only set to increase further with a more segmented offering, the future looks very promising for the hospitality industry in KSA, more so in the mid-market segment.”

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2016 is the only event in the Kingdom where hospitality industry professionals can source everything needed to build, develop and maintain a hotel or restaurant in Saudi Arabia. Its Vision Conference also provides a unique opportunity to learn about the latest industry developments and trends. It takes place 17-19th May 2016 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events. Register to attend for FREE.