Dubai, 2 March: Jumeirah Group has made a number of internal changes to its management team in Dubai to support the brand’s continued commitment to enhance and redefine the guest experience. Margaret Paul has been appointed General Manager, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah and will oversee the management of 1,400 members of staff, 202 suites and nine F&B outlets. Margaret brings a wealth of experience to the role after spearheading Madinat Jumeirah – The Arabian Resort since 2012. In this role Margaret oversaw the resort’s four hotels – Jumeirah Al Qasr, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf and the latest luxury hotel in the Group’s portfolio, Jumeirah Al Naseem, as well as the popular Souk Madinat Jumeirah and the resort’s Conference Centre. Margaret, a Scottish national, has been with Jumeirah Group since 2002. Previous roles include Hotel Manager for Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London; and Hotel Manager before General Manager at Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
Mahmoud Sakr has been appointed to the new role of Area General Manager for the Dubai city hotels and also becomes General Manager of Jumeirah Emirates Towers, while Sven Wiedenhaupt moves to the position of General Manager of Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Mahmoud Sakr will be responsible for developing and running the commercial and operational strategy, the management of 400 rooms and suites and 530 members of staff at Jumeirah Emirates Towers – a landmark property in the heart of Dubai’s business district. In addition, Mahmoud has also been appointed Area General Manager. With 30 years’ experience, he started his career with Jumeirah Group in 1999 as Director of Rooms at the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. Over the next eight years, he became Executive Assistant Manager – Rooms Division and Resident Manager before Hotel Manager. Sakr was appointed General Manager of Jumeirah Mina A’Salam in 2008. The Cairo-born hospitality professional moved to Jumeirah Emirates Towers from his role at Jumeirah Beach Hotel as General Manager on 1 March. In Sven Wiedenhaupt’s new role at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, he will be responsible for overseeing the direction and development of the premier lifestyle destination. The hotel celebrates its 20thanniversary this year and will undergo a refurbishment of 334 rooms and suites. Scheduled to start in May and finish in November, the programme will also include a number of popular guest facilities, including the Family Pool; Sinbads Kids Club; and the landscaped promenade that runs between the gardens and the beach, connecting Jumeirah Beach Hotel with its sister properties in the Madinat Jumeirah resort. Sven previously worked at Jumeirah Emirates Towers and his industry experience spans over 35 years. He spent 20 years working for leading hotels in New York, San Francisco, Arizona, Wisconsin and California. With an aptitude for food and beverage, roles included Director of Food and Beverage at Four Seasons Hotel New York in 2004. In 2008 he made his first foray into the Middle East, joining The Four Seasons Hotel Doha as Hotel Manager before transitioning toThe Four Seasons Hotel Damascus as General Manager. Wiedenhaupt then headed to the West Indies in 2013 to oversee the Four Seasons Resort Nevis as General Manager. In January 2015 he returned to the Middle East to take up the role of General Manager at Jumeirah Emirates Towers.
