Hilton appoints new development team to spearhead Middle East activity

Feb 06, 09 | 1:55 am

With development a key priority for Hilton Hotels, the company has appointed Elie Younes as Vice President of Development, and Carlos Khneisser as Director of Development for the Middle East, based in the Dubai Internet City Area office. The region, in particular the six Gulf countries, have been identified as Hilton's top global development markets.

"We are thrilled to have Elie and Carlos join our ever-expanding Hilton Family. Despite the current economic climate, our development activity is well on track, and we are increasing our resources to ensure we are maximising and driving all opportunities," said Andrew Clough, Senior Vice President, Development, Hilton Hotels, Middle East & Asia Pacific.

Younes, who is fluent in English, Arabic and French, joins Hilton from Starwood, where he served as Senior Director for Acquisition and Development activities across the Middle East and parts of Central Asia. Prior to Starwood, he was a Director of HVS International's London office, where he was responsible for the firm's advisory and business development activities in the Middle East and Africa. Younes has a rich portfolio of hotel transactions and investment advisory under his belt, having worked in a cross-section of hospitality sectors in the region and internationally.

"I am delighted to be a part of the Hilton Family and to drive the company's growth in the Middle East. My strong knowledge of the region and its key stakeholders, combined with the strength of the Hilton brand portfolio, will enable me to move full steam ahead and enlarge the Hilton footprint," said Younes.

Younes, will be supported by Carlos Khneisser who has taken on the role of Director of Development. Prior to joining Hilton, Khneisser was Director of Finance, Leisure and the Nuran Serviced Residence for the Emaar Hospitality Group. He has also worked for Ritz-Carlton, Meridien and Sheraton in Spain, Portugal and the Middle East. Khneisser is also fluent in English, Arabic and French, as well as Spanish and Portuguese.

The appointment of the two key industry figureheads underscores Hilton's development drive to expand the presence of the Hilton Family of Hotels in the region, from the economy and focused service segment right through to mid-market, upscale and luxury.


About Hilton Hotels Corporation

Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 3,200 hotels and 545,000 rooms in more than 77 countries and territories including 135,000 team members worldwide. 

The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton®, Conrad_^® Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations_^TM, Homewood Suites by Hilton®, and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection_^TM.

The company currently operates 41 hotels in the Middle East & Africa - 16 hotels in Egypt, nine hotels in the UAE, five in Saudi Arabia and one each in Oman and Kuwait, plus another nine hotels in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Hilton Hotels has a signed development pipeline of an additional 17 properties across Middle East & Africa in the U.A.E, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria and Cape Verde. Furthermore, the company has announced a strategic development agreement to develop 13 Hilton Garden Inn properties (2,500 rooms) across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton's philosophy that, "It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality."  The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company:  be hospitable®. The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity.

For more information about our company, please visit www.hiltonfamily.com, and to learn more about our be hospitable philosophy, please visit www.behospitable.com.