Hospitality veteran Hussein Tawalbeh to lead sales and operations in the region from Dubai UAE
ALPHARETTA, Ga.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of hospitality software solutions that deliver High Return Hospitality, today announced it is bringing its Agilysys Hospitality Cloud solutions to the Middle East. While Agilysys previously has cultivated customers in the region through its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations in the United Kingdom, the company now has hired Hussein Tawalbeh, an executive whose hospitality expertise comes through a 20-year career in the region, to lead Agilysys’ Middle East and North Africa (MENA) operations from Dubai UAE.
Dubai is on track to becoming the world’s most visited destination welcoming 7.1 million international overnight visitors as of June 2022, a 183% year-over-year increase. The hospitality sector across the Middle East is undergoing a dramatic transformation – particularly in the luxury, upper upscale and upscale sectors – that is expected to fuel growth over the next several years.
A recent trend report by Lodging Econometrics notes that the construction pipeline for the Middle East at the end of the second quarter 2022 includes 545 projects comprising 140,055 rooms, with 72% of these projects in the top three chain scales – luxury, upper upscale, and upscale. Forecast data shows 114 hotel openings totaling 28,450 rooms expected in 2023 and 125 hotel openings accounting for 30,408 rooms expected in 2024.
“Dubai has taken a strategic approach to the hospitality industry, establishing a top-notch infrastructure and hosting world-renowned events to draw visitors from all over the world,” said Hussein Tawalbeh, Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for Agilysys. “Deepening Agilysys’ focus in the Middle East is a natural move as this region develops meaningful growth and exceptional hospitality experiences,” he added.
Mr. Tawalbeh’s hospitality experience in the Middle East includes leadership and management positions at global hospitality solution providers; and at in-region properties and management companies, including Radisson Blu; Kempenski Hotels and Autograph Collection.
Agilysys debuted its marketing presence in the Middle East as a sponsor of The Hospitality Network’s The 2022 Stakeholder Conference (thehospitalitynetwork.com) held 18-21 October 2022.
Don DeMarinis, Agilysys Senior Vice President, noted, “We were impressed by the hospitality leaders and decision-makers with whom we met at the 2022 Stakeholders Conference. Those conversations have informed our approach to bringing our market-leading hospitality solutions to the Middle East. In addition, we are excited to add Hussein Tawalbeh’s meaningful hospitality knowledge and experience in the Middle East to our team as we help leading properties in the region to achieve High Return Hospitality,” he concluded.
About Agilysys
Agilysys is well known for its long heritage of hospitality-focused technology innovation. The Company delivers modular and integrated software solutions and expertise to businesses seeking to maximize Return on Experience (ROE) through hospitality encounters that are both personal and profitable. Over time, customers achieve High Return Hospitality by consistently delighting guests, retaining staff and growing margins. Customers around the world include: branded and independent hotels; multi-amenity resort properties; casinos; property, hotel and resort management companies; cruise lines; corporate dining providers; higher education campus dining providers; food service management companies; hospitals; lifestyle communities; senior living facilities; stadiums; and theme parks. The Agilysys Hospitality Cloud™ combines core operational systems for property management (PMS), point-of-sale (POS) and Inventory and Procurement (I&P) with Experience Enhancers™ that meaningfully improve interactions for guests and for employees across dimensions such as digital access, mobile convenience, self-service control, personal choice, payment options, service coverage and real-time insights to improve decisions. Core solutions and Experience Enhancers are selectively combined in Hospitality Solution Studios™ tailored to specific hospitality settings and business needs. www.Agilysys.com
Contacts
Media:
Jen Reeves, Agilysys, Inc., 770-810-6007, jennifer.reeves@agilysys.com
Kaylee Sims, Arketi Group (for Agilysys), 404-697-0137, ksims@arketi.com
Investors:
Jessica Hennessy, Agilysys, Inc., 770-810-6116, jessica.hennessy@agilysys.com
