Over 4,000 candidates from around the world have applied to Emaar Hospitality Group’s global talent competition to find budding professionals who are passionate about a career in the hospitality industry.

The group of young professionals all below the age of 26 comprise graduates from top hotel and business schools with many having academic specialties in the areas of business, IT, engineering and science but are committed to looking for fulfilling, managerial positions with Emaar Hospitality Group, a globally recognised Dubai-based brand and entity.

Applicants for the ‘World’s Greatest Hospitality Talent’ initiative come from countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Canada, USA, Australia, China, Singapore, India, France, UK, Portugal, South Africa, West African nations, Switzerland and The Netherlands, among others. This demonstrates success of the initiative in attracting the brightest and best from around the world to Dubai.

Aseem Kapoor, Corporate Director of Human Resources at Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “We are passionate about the development of our associates, and believe that identifying and nurturing talent not only has a long-term cost-benefit but also helps attract and retain talented individuals. Our global talent scouting competition has enabled us to identify a pool of next generation skilled professionals who are passionate about the industry.

“With applicants from across the world, the talent scouting competition underlines our success as an organisation that young professionals want to work for. As a homegrown Dubai-based company with an international focus, our commitment is to providing superior guest experiences and in this journey, we look forward to working with the brightest young talents.”

Young men and women applied for the coveted opportunity online by submitting a personal video message. Eight candidates are being short-listed; they will be invited to Dubai in July for a one-week casting that combines traditional and innovative selection techniques, such as a putting together a performance at a high-end venue and multiple individual and team-based business simulations.

The short-listed candidates will be evaluated for their personality, creativity, innovative approaches and genuine passion for the industry. One candidate will emerge as the winner – the world’s greatest hospitality talent – who will undergo a three-year training under Emaar Hospitality Group’s senior leaders and work across the board to gain hands-on insights on corporate hospitality leadership.

Emaar Hospitality Group’s ‘World’s Greatest Hospitality Talent’ initiative builds on the company’s focus on driving an innovative service culture programme that aims to transform every touch point of the guest journey into a genuine lifestyle experience. Nurturing next generation talent is an important part of the initiative, which will inculcate a ‘service culture’ and build the desired leadership skills.

Emaar Hospitality Group now has 13 operational hotels and three serviced residences in Dubai under Address Hotels + Resorts; Vida Hotels and Resorts, the upscale lifestyle hotel and residences brand; and Rove Hotels, a contemporary midscale hotel brand. Emaar Hospitality Group now has a pipeline of upcoming projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey and Maldives, a testament to its competencies and its expansion strategy to operate hotels in key locations in high-growth markets.