For Monther Darwish, change is less a disruption to hospitality than a permanent feature of the business.

The founder and chairman of Palazzo Hospitality and MD of Palazzo Versace Dubai has spent years operating in an industry where traveller expectations, technology and competition rarely stand still. His response has been to build a hospitality business designed to move with them.

“Hospitality is constantly evolving, and standing still is not an option. Our focus has always been on finding opportunity in change, strengthening our core business, creating new revenue streams and continuing to invest in the future.”

That philosophy increasingly defines Palazzo Hospitality. Founded by Darwish in 2019, the UAE-based group spans hotel management, development, commercial operations, interior design and brand management. At its centre remains Palazzo Versace Dubai, but its ambitions now extend considerably further, with more than 10 projects in the pipeline as it targets expansion across the Middle East, Africa and selected international markets.

The strategy reflects a wider shift in hospitality. Occupancy remains fundamental, but growth increasingly depends on creating multiple reasons for customers to interact with a hotel, whether or not they are staying overnight.

At Palazzo Versace Dubai, that means viewing the property as an ecosystem encompassing rooms, restaurants, wellness, events, celebrations, gifting, partnerships and lifestyle experiences.

Turning experiences into revenue

One example came through Palazzo Versace Dubai’s summer campaign. Rather than relying on significant conventional advertising spend, the hotel activated relationships with media partners, influencers and content creators, supported by PR, while packaging experiences across the property at different price points.

Rooms started from Dhs499, selected food and beverage experiences from Dhs499 for two, Giardino breakfast was offered at Dhs125 for two, La Vita at Dhs199 and spa experiences at Dhs399.

The campaign sold more than 5,000 vouchers, generating approximately Dhs1.35m in revenue. Beyond immediate sales, the strategy provided customers with different entry points into the hotel, potentially converting a restaurant, spa or leisure visit into a longer-term relationship with the brand. That approach is also evident in e-gifting, which has developed into a direct revenue channel. By packaging rooms, dining, wellness and lifestyle experiences as products that can be purchased before a customer has decided to visit, Palazzo Versace Dubai is effectively adding a retail layer to its hospitality business.

During the summer, more than 8,900 vouchers were sold through the platform, generating approximately Dhs2.4m. For Darwish, however, diversification is not simply about adding products. The underlying test is whether innovation produces tangible value.

“Innovation for us is not about technology for the sake of technology,” he says. “Whether it is AI, digital performance or a new commercial concept, it has to make the guest journey better, make our teams more effective or create measurable value for the business.”

Putting AI to work

That philosophy is particularly relevant as artificial intelligence becomes more prominent across hospitality.

At Palazzo Versace Dubai, one of the most visible examples is Laura, an AI-powered digital human assistant designed to support guest enquiries while transferring conversations to hotel employees when human intervention is required.

During Laura’s first 10 weeks, the system handled 5,005 conversations, resolving 87.2 per cent without escalation. Another 641 conversations were transferred for further assistance. More significantly from a commercial perspective, those interactions contributed to an identified pipeline valued at $3.27m.

The hotel has since expanded Laura’s role through an outbound calling campaign, testing whether conversational AI can move from responding to enquiries to supporting proactive commercial outreach at scale. For Palazzo Hospitality, the objective is not to automate luxury hospitality at the expense of personal service. Instead, technology can handle high-volume and repetitive interactions, while employees concentrate on areas where human attention provides greater value.

Digital marketing is being subjected to a similarly commercial test. During the summer, Palazzo Versace Dubai’s Rooms Search and Performance Max campaigns generated more than 800,000 impressions and 88,000 clicks, translating into 116 confirmed bookings, 352 room nights and more than Dhs274,000 in attributed revenue.

Digital bookings increased approximately 70 per cent year on year during the period, while room nights rose 55 per cent and attributed revenue increased 65 per cent. The principle is straightforward: digital visibility matters, but turning that attention into business matters more.

Beyond the hotel stay

Commercial diversification also extends to meetings, events and celebrations.

Despite pressure across the hospitality and events landscape during the first half of 2026, Palazzo Versace Dubai’s Events & Catering revenue outperformed the corresponding period a year earlier.

The segment illustrates the commercial value of treating a luxury hotel as a destination rather than simply accommodation. A corporate conference can generate room nights and dining revenue, while a wedding can combine accommodation, banqueting and celebrations across multiple areas of the property.

Supporting this strategy is Grazie, Palazzo Versace Dubai’s Partner Reward Programme, which recognises corporate partners, event companies and travel management companies generating qualifying direct business across rooms, meeting facilities and event spaces. The wider objective is to bring different audiences into the hotel and give them reasons to return, whether for another event, a restaurant visit, wellness experience or future stay.

Taking UAE expertise abroad

While Palazzo Versace Dubai remains the flagship, the next stage of Darwish’s strategy increasingly lies beyond the UAE. The clearest expression so far is Ezulwini Palazzo in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

The property was officially opened by His Majesty King Mswati III during celebrations marking the King’s birthday and 40 years on the throne. Soon afterwards, Ezulwini Palazzo played a role in the OACPS–EU conference programme held in Eswatini from May 7-14, 2026. For Palazzo Hospitality, the development represents more than geographic expansion. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate whether hospitality expertise built in the UAE can be successfully adapted to a different destination and operating environment.

The objective is not to recreate Dubai elsewhere. Instead, the group aims to combine its management standards and commercial expertise with the culture, character and requirements of individual markets.

Darwish says: “Palazzo Versace Dubai gave us a strong foundation, but our ambition has always extended beyond a single property. As Palazzo Hospitality grows internationally, our objective is to take the expertise we have built in the UAE into new markets while creating something that is relevant to each destination.”

That philosophy will become increasingly important as the company scales. With more than 10 projects in the pipeline, Palazzo Hospitality is focusing its next phase of growth on the Middle East, Africa and selected international markets.

Built for the next phase

Darwish’s entrepreneurial career began in the early 2000s and, in 2007, he was recognised by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum with the Young Business Leader of the Year Award for his business achievements and innovative vision. He became a partner in Palazzo Versace Dubai in 2013 and its managing director in 2017, before establishing Palazzo Hospitality two years later.

Today, the group’s growth strategy rests on four broad pillars: resilience through changing market conditions; commercial innovation that creates revenue beyond rooms; technology that improves engagement and conversion; and international expansion adapted to individual destinations. For Darwish, those elements are interconnected. AI has to improve the guest journey or commercial performance. Marketing has to translate attention into revenue. Hotels need to create reasons to visit beyond an overnight stay. And international expansion has to reflect individual destinations rather than impose a single formula.

For a company built on the foundation of one of Dubai’s most distinctive luxury properties, the next chapter is therefore about more than adding hotels to a portfolio. It is

about taking the commercial and operational expertise developed in the UAE and demonstrating how effectively it can travel.

A strong CV can demonstrate what a candidate has achieved, the qualifications they hold and the experience they bring to the table. But in the UAE’s changing labour market, getting noticed may depend on something that cannot easily be captured in a list of credentials: the professional relationships that make those achievements visible.

Networking is not necessarily replacing competence as a driver of career advancement. Instead, it is becoming an important link between what professionals can do and whether the right people know they can do it.

That distinction matters for jobseekers navigating a competitive market. Submitting an application may put a candidate into consideration, but professional visibility, trusted introductions and relationships built over time can also influence how people discover opportunities, exchange information and connect with potential employers.

Read more: You clicked ‘Apply’ — now what? What GCC hiring platforms really do with your resume

Arda Atalay, regional director at LinkedIn, MENA, said skills and experience remain the strongest drivers of career opportunity in the UAE, but they do not speak for themselves.

“Networks can help people make their expertise visible, learn where opportunities are emerging, and build relationships with people who can open a door or make an introduction,” he said.

The implication for professionals is clear: qualifications remain essential, but the ability to communicate their value and build credible professional relationships can help determine whether their experience reaches the people who matter.

Competence still counts, but visibility matters

The idea that professional connections can influence career access often invites a familiar question: does who you know now matter more than what you know?

The UAE findings cited by LinkedIn suggest a more complicated picture. Skills and experience remain the leading factor professionals associate with access to opportunities, while professional networks can help translate those capabilities into career prospects.

The distinction is particularly striking within human resources. According to Atalay, 36 per cent of HR professionals in the UAE identify a strong professional network as the biggest driver of career access, compared with 25 per cent who point to skills and experience.

That finding does not necessarily mean relationships outweigh competence. Rather, it may reflect HR professionals’ closer understanding of how recruitment, professional visibility and introductions can connect qualified people with opportunities.

For employers, the same principle works in reverse. Professional networks can help organisations stay connected to talent, identify emerging skills and maintain access to people who may be suitable for future roles.

Atalay said networks should be viewed as part of the infrastructure supporting a healthy labour market, rather than as a substitute for merit.

For candidates, the practical question is what happens after an application is submitted. A CV may establish that someone meets the requirements for a position. A professional reputation, evidence of measurable achievements and credible recommendations can provide additional ways for others to understand that person’s capabilities.

The confidence gap behind networking

Despite widespread recognition of networking’s value, putting it into practice remains a challenge.

LinkedIn’s research found that 64 per cent of HR professionals in the UAE agree they are making the most of their professional networks, a proportion Atalay said is substantially higher than in other industries covered by the survey. Yet 39 per cent of UAE HR professionals also say they lack confidence when approaching people.

The apparent contradiction reveals a gap between understanding the importance of relationships and feeling comfortable building them.

Professionals may recognise that connections can help them learn about opportunities or gain industry insight, while still worrying about how to initiate a conversation, what to say or whether contacting someone unfamiliar could appear intrusive.

Yet the willingness to help appears considerably stronger than that hesitation might suggest. The research found that 86 per cent of UAE professionals surveyed would help someone who approached them for career support, even if they did not know that person personally.

“The barrier is often not willingness on either side. It is confidence and knowing how to make the first move,” Atalay said.

That gap has implications for jobseekers and employers alike. If professionals assume that unfamiliar contacts will be unwilling to help, they may avoid conversations that could offer useful advice, industry knowledge or an introduction to a potential employer.

Equally, people who already have established relationships may find it easier to learn about opportunities that are less visible to outsiders. The challenge is ensuring that access to professional information does not depend solely on the connections someone already possesses.

Why even HR professionals struggle to build relationships

Working in human resources does not automatically make someone confident about personal networking.

Atalay drew a distinction between managing relationships as part of a job and building a professional network independently. In a workplace, the purpose of an interaction is usually clear: colleagues are discussing a task, resolving an issue or working towards a shared objective.

Personal networking can be less straightforward. Professionals may be uncertain about whom to approach, how to begin a conversation or whether their efforts will appear transactional.

The solution, Atalay argued, is to treat networking as a skill that can be developed rather than an ability people are simply expected to possess.

That can mean contributing to an industry discussion, asking a thoughtful question, following someone’s professional commentary or maintaining relationships before a specific need arises.

For candidates, this approach shifts networking away from the idea of asking strangers for favours. It becomes a process of participating in professional conversations, exchanging knowledge and building familiarity over time.

Such relationships may not lead directly to a job offer. They can, however, help candidates understand changes in their industry, identify skills in demand and become more visible to people who work in their field.

A regional divide in networking confidence

The research also points to differences between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, suggesting that networking behaviour cannot be explained by a single regional pattern.

UAE HR professionals are more likely than professionals in other UAE industries to report lacking confidence when approaching people. Saudi HR professionals, by contrast, show the opposite pattern, according to Atalay.

He also pointed to a broader trend in Saudi Arabia, where 45 per cent of professionals surveyed said they were putting greater effort into building their networks.

The findings suggest that recognising the value of relationships does not automatically translate into the same levels of confidence or participation across markets.

For businesses operating across both countries, that distinction matters. Approaches to professional development that focus only on encouraging people to network may fall short if employees also need practical guidance on how to do so.

The issue becomes particularly relevant as Saudi Arabia pursues the economic transformation associated with Vision 2030.

According to Atalay, 46 per cent of Saudi professionals surveyed said networks could help people access the skills needed for the future economy. Among Saudi HR professionals, 54 per cent linked networks to access to major national projects, while 49 per cent associated them with entrepreneurship and business opportunities.

As new sectors develop and demand for different capabilities changes, professional relationships can help people understand where opportunities are emerging and what skills they may need to pursue them.

Can networking widen access rather than reinforce privilege?

The growing importance of professional visibility also raises a difficult question: could networking favour people who already have access to influential contacts?

The answer depends partly on how professional networks are built and used. If opportunities circulate only within established circles, candidates without existing connections may struggle to become visible, regardless of their qualifications.

Atalay said professionals new to the UAE and those starting their careers are among the groups considered more vulnerable to missing opportunities when they lack visibility or connections. In Saudi Arabia, people outside major business hubs may also benefit from stronger networks.

For networking to broaden access, it must extend beyond familiar circles. That means creating opportunities for people to exchange knowledge, seek advice and establish relationships without needing an existing personal introduction.

The survey’s findings on willingness to help suggest there may be room to do so. In addition to the 86% recorded in the UAE, 90% of Saudi professionals surveyed said they would support someone seeking career help even if they did not know them personally.

Atalay said those findings indicate that professional ecosystems may contain more willingness to help than individuals realise.

The value of a network, therefore, is not simply the number of contacts a person has. It also lies in whether those relationships enable knowledge to circulate, introductions to happen and people to navigate changes in their careers.

Guidance could be the missing link

Despite awareness of networking’s benefits, many professionals say they have not received enough guidance on building professional relationships.

The research found that 43% of HR professionals in the UAE and 41% in Saudi Arabia considered the guidance they had received insufficient.

That points to a gap in professional development. Networking is often treated as an instinctive activity, even though approaching unfamiliar people, sustaining conversations and building mutually useful relationships can require practice.

Atalay said better guidance could help address both confidence and access by making the first step less intimidating and showing professionals how to connect with people beyond their existing circles.

For employers, that may mean treating relationship-building as a practical professional skill rather than leaving employees to work it out independently. For jobseekers, it means looking beyond the CV to how they communicate their expertise, participate in their industry and maintain credible connections.

None of this makes qualifications or demonstrated results less important. A professional introduction cannot, on its own, replace the ability to perform a job. Nor does a large network guarantee a successful application.

But a CV is only one part of how a candidate’s value becomes known.

In a labour market where skills, experience and professional visibility intersect, the decisive moment may not be when an application is submitted, but when someone recognises the value behind it.

The question for jobseekers is no longer simply whether their CV is strong enough. It is whether the right people can see what they bring to the table, and whether the relationships they build help that value reach them.

The UAE’s Federal Tax Authority has launched an AI-powered platform for tourist VAT refunds, saying improvements to the service have reduced the time taken to receive refunds to one business day from approximately nine days previously.

Developed with Planet, the authorised operator of the tourist refund scheme, the platform combines a mobile application, facial recognition and automated checks to process requests through paperless procedures.

It is operational at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, Dubai International Airport and Sharjah International Airport, the FTA said in an October 20 statement.

The authority described the platform as the world’s first integrated AI-powered tourist VAT refund journey and said it offered the fastest refund experience globally.

FTA director general Abdulaziz Mohammed Al Mulla said the changes were intended to simplify the departure experience and reduce administrative requirements under the UAE’s Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme.

“We are proud of the FTA’s success in accelerating tax refund procedures as part of its ongoing efforts to expand digital zero-bureaucracy initiatives,” he said.

How the refund process works
Tourists register through Planet’s mobile application by scanning their face and capturing and saving images of their passport and bank card.
Before departure, they scan a dynamic QR code displayed at airport tax refund service points to begin processing their request through the app.

The system assesses their transactions and determines whether purchases require inspection. Where no inspection is necessary, tourists can finalise the request in the application without in-person verification and select their preferred refund method.

Those whose transactions require inspection are notified through the app and directed to Planet’s smart gates. Facial recognition identifies the tourist and retrieves transaction details before directing them to a designated self-service kiosk.

The FTA said airport procedures could be completed within minutes. This processing time is separate from the one-business-day period reported for receiving refunds.

The platform automatically matches invoice and travel information, provides language support based on nationality and checks for unusual transaction patterns to support tax compliance, according to the authority.

Dhs4.2bn refunded since 2018
Approximately Dhs4.2bn in VAT had been refunded through 25 million transactions from the scheme’s launch in 2018 to October 2026, the FTA said.

The authority expects approximately four million transactions, with a projected total value of Dhs692m, during the year from November 2026 to October 2027.
Tourist satisfaction with the service reached 93 per cent in the first nine months of 2026, compared with 92 per cent in the corresponding period a year earlier.

In 2025, the value of refunds increased 8 per cent and transaction volumes rose 5 per cent compared with 2024.

Approximately 16,700 retail points of sale are registered and electronically connected to the scheme. During the first nine months of 2026, 769 outlets joined, following 1,326 additions throughout 2025.

The scheme also has 98 self-service kiosks across shopping centres, hotels and departure points. These account for 22.4 per cent of its transactions.

The FTA said the platform builds on earlier improvements to its digital refund system, including the introduction of VAT refunds for eligible e-commerce purchases made by tourists during their stay in the UAE.

UAE Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh announced her candidacy for United Nations secretary-general on Wednesday, pledging to strengthen conflict prevention and make the organisation more accountable, following her formal nomination by the United Arab Emirates.

Nusseibeh, the UAE’s envoy to the UN and European Union, has taken a leave of absence from her government responsibilities to focus on the campaign, according to her announcement.

She is seeking to succeed António Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, 2026. Her announcement followed the Security Council’s latest informal straw poll on October 16, part of the process to select the next UN chief.

“I am standing to be secretary-general because I believe this is a moment to act with greater urgency: to act earlier, bring people together across differences, and drive the work forward until it produces concrete results,” Nusseibeh said.

She said the gap between the UN’s promises and its delivery had eroded trust and weakened its ability to act.
“I wish to offer myself to this office as I would serve it: speaking frankly with every government and answering to none.”

Lana Nusseibeh shares her vision

Her programme, outlined in a vision statement titled ‘A United Nations for the Next Eighty Years’, places peace and security at its centre, calling for earlier diplomatic engagement to prevent disputes from escalating.

It prioritises practical agreements, including humanitarian access, prisoner exchanges and local truces, intended to reduce suffering and create space for broader political settlements. These would be supported by continued diplomacy and verification of implementation.

Nusseibeh also proposes working more closely with regional organisations, local actors and mediators trusted by conflicting parties, arguing that the UN should support those best placed to achieve progress without necessarily leading every peace process.

Her reform proposals include requiring every major Secretariat programme to report its achievements against its costs, reducing duplication and moving leadership and resources closer to where they are needed.

She also calls for empowering staff in the field to act and deliver, clearer priorities and stronger accountability for results across the UN’s peace and security, development and human rights work.

On development, her programme would align cooperation with national priorities, emphasise job creation and seek fairer debt solutions, alongside partnerships with philanthropy and the private sector.

Nusseibeh said the UN should apply international law and universal human rights consistently and without double standards.

Her proposals on artificial intelligence and biotechnology include practical international cooperation and voluntary incident reporting, with broader participation by countries that use these technologies but do not develop them. She also calls for measures to help countries anticipate climate impacts and strengthen resilience in fragile settings.

Nusseibeh served as the UAE’s permanent representative to the UN from 2013 to 2024, including during its 2022–2023 term on the Security Council. She twice held the council’s rotating presidency.

Her previous roles also include vice-president of the General Assembly and president of the Executive Board of UN Women.

Rising above the Arabian Gulf, Wynn Al Marjan Island is rapidly transforming the Ras Al Khaimah skyline, with its landmark hotel tower now dominating the waterfront.

New photographs taken by Gulf Business this week offer a fresh look at the ambitious development, capturing the scale of the resort and the progress being made on its exterior and surrounding buildings.

The images show the tower’s distinctive bronze-coloured façade catching the sunlight, with the sprawling lower-rise resort structures stretching across the shoreline below.

Wynn Al Marjan Island opening in September 2027

The resort is scheduled to welcome its first guests in September 2027, a date confirmed by Wynn Resorts in August.

The 70-storey hotel tower reached its highest structural concrete point in December 2025. Including its signature spire, the building is designed to reach 352 metres, making it the tallest structure in Ras Al Khaimah.

Work has since been advancing on the building’s exterior, interior fit-outs and surrounding hospitality facilities.

The development’s estimated cost has risen to approximately $5.7bn, following a $600m increase attributed partly to regional disruptions, higher construction costs and supply-chain challenges.

Wynn Resorts holds a 40 per cent stake in the joint venture developing the project.

What will Wynn Al Marjan Island feature?

Once complete, the resort will offer 1,530 rooms and suites, 22 restaurants, bars and lounges, a theatre, luxury shopping, swimming pools, a spa and extensive beachfront facilities.

It will also house the UAE’s first licensed commercial gaming facility, following Wynn’s receipt of the country’s first commercial gaming licence in October 2024.

Earlier this month, Wynn unveiled further details of its planned 98-berth marina, which will accommodate superyachts of up to 85 metres and provide direct access to the resort.

The development also includes a 550-metre beachfront, with sheltered swimming areas and an engineered offshore reef.