Azizi Developments, a leading private developer in the UAE, has just announced its plans to launch a hotel brand across the UAE and beyond, as part of its expansion into the hospitality sector. Azizi has appointed Mr. Michael Zager as its new Chief Operating Officer – Hospitality.

Azizi will soon introduce the new global brand, under which it will both develop and acquire hotel real estate that it will then own and manage.

A hotel afficionado and industry leader with over 35 years of experience in international hospitality, German national Mr. Michael Zager will spearhead Azizi’s debut into the sector. Mr. Zager has previously held senior leadership positions across several global four- and five-star hotel groups in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, including Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Marriott, and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG Hotels & Resorts), for which he served as Vice President in charge of the franchised and managed portfolio comprising more than 300 hotels spread over 26 countries. He has also led several industry giants toward enhanced operational excellence as Managing Director of Hospitality360, a hotel management consultancy he established in 2019 to serve clients across Europe and the Middle East.

Zager is an award-winninghotel-profession IHK graduate from the Bergius Professional School in Frankfurt, Germany, a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), and has completed the PDP educational programs for Strategic Hospitality Management and others at the Cornell Hotel School Ithaca, New York.

In his comments, Mr. Farhad Azizi, CEO of Azizi Developments, said: “This monumental announcement is one that we have been preparing for extensively, and that excites all of us at Azizi Developments. The hospitality sector is especially pronounced here in our home, the United Arab Emirates, with Dubai seeing a substantial influx of visitors year after year and continuing to be crowned as the number one destination in the world. As a leading developer, we are now leveraging our real estate aptitude and in-depth understanding of the wants and needs in the realm of accommodation to grant visitors unparalleled hospitality experiences, worldwide. We see our expansion into the tourism sector as the next big stride in our overarching mission of enhancing lifestyles and look forward to showcasing our upcoming hospitality projects to our stakeholders in the UAE and beyond, as well as more announcements in this regard, in due course.”

“Mr. Michael Zager is the ideal leadership figure for our grand entry into hospitality. With him having successfully led high-performing teams for reputable hoteliers across various continents, and with him being especially proficient in heading pre- and launch phases, hotel and asset management, and hospitality as a whole across Europe and the MENA region, where the vision for our first hotels will manifest into reality, we are delighted to welcome him and his wealth of expertise”, he added.

Azizi Developments is now gearing up for its 2023 completions. The developer is well on its way to deliver a total of approximately 11,000 units across 45 projects in Dubai, spread across the first, second and third phases of Riviera, Park Avenue I, II and III in MBR City, and Berton in Al Furjan.

Azizi Developments’ Sales Gallery can be visited on the 13th floor of the Conrad Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road.