The Rezidor Hotel Group has appointed what it claims is the industry’s first Saudi female general manager at its Park Inn by Radisson in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, scheduled to open later this year.
The appointment of Maram Kokandi complements the Saudi Vision 2030 launched last year, which emphasizes the significance of Saudi women and their role in leading the development of both social and professional growth of the Kingdom.
“We are committed to empowering our women in leadership at Rezidor, and this announcement is a momentous achievement, not only for our group but for the hospitality industry worldwide,” said Wolfgang Neumann, president and CEO of The Rezidor Hotel Group. “We are confident that this milestone will inspire other women across the region to pursue their career aspirations in hospitality.”
Kokandi studied hospitality management in the United Kingdom before moving back to the Middle East region, taking up various hospitality roles in Saudi Arabia.
“Today, we celebrate an incredible success of a Saudi Arabian woman and recognize her potential to lead in one of the most important and fast growing business sectors for the country,” said Mark Willis, Rezidor’s area vice president, Middle East & Turkey. “This announcement is a testimony of how the Kingdom is progressing in this direction. We have already come a long way, from six female employees in 2014 to 84 today, with 12 in leadership positions.”
Saudi Arabia is a key growth market for Rezidor. The group has 30 hotels and over 6,000 rooms in operation and in development.