Dubai’s Jumeirah appoints new general manager for Burj Al Arab

Dubai-based luxury hotel operator Jumeirah group has appointed a new general manager (GM) for its ultra-luxurious property, the Burj Al Arab, it announced on Wednesday.

Margaret Paul, GM of Madinat Jumeirah, has been appointed to the role. She replaces Anthony McHale, who was made GM in 2014.

Paul, who served as the GM of Madinat Jumeirah since 2012, oversaw the resort’s four hotels – Jumeirah Al Qasr, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf and Jumeirah Al Naseem, as well as Souk Madinat Jumeirah and the resort’s Conference Centre.

A Scottish national, she has been with Jumeirah Group since 2002, with previous roles including hotel manager for Jumeirah Carlton Tower – London and hotel manager and later GM at Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

Burj Al Arab – dubbed the world’s first ‘seven-star’ hotel – features 202 suites, nine F&B outlets and has 1,400 members of staff.

In a statement, Jumeirah also announced that the GMs of Jumeirah Emirates Towers and Jumeirah Beach Hotel have switched roles.

Mahmoud Sakr will now be responsible for developing and running the commercial and operational strategy at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, which includes 400 rooms and suites with 530 staff members.

Sakr, who has been with the company since 1999, has also been appointed area general manager.

Sven Wiedenhaupt, who has now been appointed the GM at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, will oversee the property’s refurbishment programme.

The hotel, which opened 20 years ago, will revamp its 334 rooms and suites. The refurbishment programme will also cover facilities such as the family pool, Sinbads Kids Club, and the landscaped promenade that runs between the gardens and the beach, connecting Jumeirah Beach Hotel with Madinat Jumeirah resort.

The programme is scheduled to start in May and finish in November, the statement added.

Wiedenhaupt, who joined Jumeirah in 2015, previously worked with hotels in the US, Doha and the West Indies.

“Jumeirah Group has made a number of internal changes to its management team in Dubai to support the brand’s continued commitment to enhance and redefine the guest experience,” the company said without elaborating on the changes.

Owned by Dubai Holding, Jumeirah manages properties in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Mallorca, Maldives and Shanghai.