Hospitality at its best: Out of Africa

More than half a million jobs will be generated in the next five years in the UAE's hotel sector, and recruiters are looking towards Africa to fill in the gap.

Dubai alone will build at least 100 more hotels and hotel apartments – from the current 448 to 531 by 2010, with hotel rooms set to triple to 129,620 by 2016, from 44,151 (end-2007).

Craig Cochrane, Director of Human Resources for Middle East and Asia, Mövenpick, confirmed the trend.

"It's true we are looking farther afield than the ‘traditional' recruitment sources in order to meet this need."

The Swiss group is building over 20 hotels in the next three years and will need nearly 7,500 employees. "Africa has become a viable recruitment source over the last few years. It will be an important labour market for our future operations," he said.

Olivia Baysauli, Human Resources Manager, Mövenpick Hotel, Bur Dubai, said: "Just under 10 per cent of [our] team members are from Africa. But in the future, we will be looking at hiring more from Africa."

Nirbhik Goel, Director of Human Resources for South-West Asia at Hyatt International, said they have 30 properties in the pipeline in South West Asia in the next five years.

Focus Area

"We will be hiring close to 10,000 employees. Africa does play an important role [as a manpower source] – and so do Asia and Europe. Africa will continue to be a focus area to attract talent in the years to come."

"We did recruit from countries that are not the usual destinations. We went to Zimbabwe looking for employees," said Angel Magdalani, Human Resources Manager, InterContinental Hotel.