While opportunities for advancement in this dynamic industry are a big incentive for ambitious professionals, they are not the only reason Waleed was drawn to the sector.
“Coming from Saudi Arabia, hospitality is in our blood,” he says. “Welcoming guests is part of our culture and something that’s drilled into us from a very early age. I distinctly remember when I was about five or six years old and being responsible for offering my father’s visitors coffee and showing them where to be seated.
“Customer engagement appeals too. Understanding guests, doing your best to make them feel comfortable and making their stay memorable are all things I love about my current role. Especially guests who are visiting Saudi Arabia for the first time. Sharing our culture and showing them how we do hospitality here are things I find genuinely rewarding.”
Disciplined approach
Having completed his Master’s in International Hospitality Management (now Master’s in Hospitality Business Leadership) at Glion in 2023, Waleed embarked on his hospitality journey via internships at the AlpenGold Hotel and the Hard Rock Hotel in Davos, Switzerland (pictured below), before joining Marriott’s Voyage Program.
“I had a couple of other options at the time,” he says. “But what I liked about the Voyage Program was that you started out in a supervisory role and the hotel’s expectations of you were clear from the outset. What was also clear was the vision of where the program could take you – and in my case, that was reaching assistant manager level on completion.”
Waleed’s impressive achievements since graduation are a testament to his hard work and dedication, but he also credits what he learned at Glion as being pivotal to his success.
“One of the things that stuck with me was discipline,” he says. “I remember being told: ‘If you are on time, you are late,’ and that’s a rule I’ve lived by ever since. I even share that with my interns now and I’m a firm believer that discipline is the key to success.
“But it’s no good just being disciplined – you have to have the right tools for the job. And what I learned at Glion showed me how things are supposed to work in hotels, whichever department you are working in.
“What Glion also gave me was an incredible network. Studying there introduced me to people from all over the world, many of whom I’m still in touch with today. In fact, when I posted about being listed in The Hotelier 30 Under 30 list, I got loads of messages from classmates congratulating me, which was really nice but also shows how supportive that Glion network is. I love that we celebrate each other’s successes.”
An eye on the future
While lists such as 30 Under 30 showcase the industry’s stars of the future, appearing in them is no guarantee of success. And although Waleed acknowledges the short-term boost his listing has had on his career prospects, in the longer term he is not relying on his new-found status.
“It’s great to be on the list and recognized, not just by my employers but by the wider industry as well” he says. “Above all, it’s an endorsement of the work I’m doing to shape the future of hospitality here in Saudi Arabia. But I’m also working on my own future as well.
“Many people dislike the question ‘where do you see yourself in five years?’, but I love it, because it’s really about setting goals. And once I’ve set myself such a target, I understand how important it is for me. Currently, my goal is to become a front office manager within two years, then I’m aiming to become a rooms director and ultimately a general manager. I honestly think having clear goals makes them easier to achieve.”
Waleed also has a clear idea of how Saudi Arabia and its hospitality industry will look in the coming years.
“When you examine how far we have come in the last 20 or so years, you can see how much change has already happened,” he says. “And that’s because there are people here who believe in the country and are working to deliver a better future for it.
“As an example, we already host huge events such as the Formula One Grand Prix and we will be hosting Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup in 2034. That was unimaginable just 10 years ago, but now it’s a reality. It’s also something our hospitality industry has had to adapt to quickly. But we have succeeded and will continue to meet and exceed expectations in the years to come. It’s really beautiful and makes me proud to be a Saudi and working in this incredible industry.”
Photo credit
Jeddah F1: Clive Mason/Getty
