TOURISM AND NATIONAL HERITAGE RECRUITMENT
The only specialist tourism and national heritage recruitment team for the UAE and the wider Middle East
The Middle East has rapidly emerged as one of the world’s most popular tourism destinations over recent years. The region’s strategic location between East and West, world-famous hospitality and well-developed infrastructure and airlines had enabled the region to thrive in the sector. Both the private and public sector have made significant investments in hotel and resort properties, tourist and major event attractions.
The vision of the leadership and investment into this vital sector has never been more evident from Dubai Expo 2020, development of Dubai Harbour, the numerous giga- projects in Saudi Arabia such as the Qiddiya and NEOM, Qatar World Cup. With the world’s leading airlines Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways in the GCC and the significant investment and specific tourism development funds established allowing for a very strong operational and strategic framework.
Beyond the airlines and hospitality focus has been an incredible sense of showcasing the culture and heritage of the region to both the local and population and international tourists. An emphasis on Islamic art, archaeology, museums, book festivals has grown significantly combined with modern entertainment and sporting events such as the Formula 1 which has now been hosted by 4 countries in the GC;UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar. Regions such as AlUla in northwestern Saudi Arabia in Madinah and home to Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This unique combination of past and present has been a significant driver and will continue to be a long-term driver of economic growth in the region.
The development of new cities, urbanisation and re-development of existing cities, the pursuit of storytelling to the world and the rich history mixed with significant sporting and major events has driven a strong demand for international experts and local cultural experts. The region’s tourism and hospitality sector evidently was significantly impacted by Covid-19 but the rebound has been strong and the region has been a leader in the world in the recovery with tourism & culture a significant guiding point.
Cooper Fitch is well placed to recruit, with more than 20 years’ track record appointing C-Level executives, cultural subject matter experts and heads of functions to a range of tourism developers, public offices, heritage, cruise ships, sporting event experts, hotels and entertainment groups.
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Jack Khabbaz
Managing partner
Representing the firm since 2013
Services
Recruitment, executive search
Functions
Board, CEO, C-Suite and senior-level recruitment
Industries
CEO Sector Agnostic, SWFs, and Public Sector
About me
Jack joined Cooper Fitch in 2013 and is a Managing Partner and the head of CEO practice and public sector advisory. As leader of Cooper Fitch’s CEO practice, Jack partners with boards, NRCs and executive leaders from multiple industries and SWFs to support the search, assessment and appointment journeys of CEOs in the Gulf and globally. Jack brings more than 25 years of search, recruitment, consulting and commercials experience from the markets of Australia, the UAE and Saudi Arabia supporting organisations drive to their strategic objectives.
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Salary Guide
Our guide unveils expected salary ranges for new hires across various industries and core functions across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for 2022.
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