Azizi Developments enters hospitality sector; announces launch of global hotel brand

UAE real estate developer Azizi Developments has announced plans to launch a hotel brand across the country and beyond, as part of its expansion into the hospitality sector.

The company will introduce the brand, under which it will both develop and acquire hotel real estate that it will then own and manage.

Azizi has appointed Michael Zager as its new chief operating officer – Hospitality.

A hotel aficionado and industry veteran with over 35 years of experience in international hospitality, Zager will spearhead Azizi’s debut into the sector. He has previously held senior leadership positions across several hotel groups in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, including Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Marriott, and InterContinental Hotels Group, for which he served as vice president in charge of the franchised and managed portfolio comprising more than 300 hotels spread over 26 countries.

Farhad Azizi, CEO of Azizi Developments, said: “The hospitality sector is especially pronounced here in our home, the United Arab Emirates, with Dubai seeing a substantial influx of visitors year after year and continuing to be crowned as the number one destination in the world.

As a leading developer, we are now leveraging our real estate aptitude and in-depth understanding of the wants and needs in the realm of accommodation to grant visitors unparalleled hospitality experiences, worldwide.

We see our expansion into the tourism sector as the next big stride in our overarching mission of enhancing lifestyles and look forward to showcasing our upcoming hospitality projects to our stakeholders in the UAE and beyond, as well as more announcements in this regard, in due course.”

“Michael Zager is the ideal leadership figure for our grand entry into hospitality. With him having successfully led high-performing teams for reputable hoteliers across various continents, and with him being especially proficient in heading pre- and launch phases, hotel and asset management, and hospitality as a whole across Europe and the MENA region, where the vision for our first hotels will manifest into reality, we are delighted to welcome him and his wealth of expertise”, he added.

Meanwhile, Azizi Developments is now gearing up for its 2023 completions.

The developer is well on its way to deliver a total of approximately 11,000 units across 45 projects in Dubai, spread across the first, second and third phases of Riviera, Park Avenue I, II and III in MBR City, and Berton in Al Furjan.

Read: UAE developer Azizi Developments announces Dhs3.5bn investment