Arabian Falcon applauded as timeshare pioneer by industry chiefs

Al Mohannad Sharafuddin, the company's managing director, was presented with the Pioneer Award by Craig M. Nash, chairman and CEO of Interval International, one of the world's leading vacation ownership exchange companies, and the name behind VOIC.

Sharafuddin founded Arabian Falcon Holidays in 1999 when the region was fast-driving its infrastructure and marketing efforts towards the development of a global vacation hotspot - with Dubai as the forerunner.

In 2003, Arabian Falcon took the contract for the Emirate's first timeshare project - Royal Club at Palm Jumeirah.

Sharafuddin told the 150-strong audience (at VOIC) that more than 3,000 vacation ownership members have understood the benefits and secured a timeshare unit at Royal Palm, with over 80 per cent of the membership held by Gulf nationals.

Meanwhile, in the eight years since launch, Arabian Falcon has enrolled in excess of 4,000 timeshare members for quality products in resort locations across Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia.

"We have long-since believed in the potential of the timeshare and fractional ownership sector, thus focussed the activities of Arabian Falcon Holidays on this niche, high-potential segment from the outset.

"Our mission is always to provide the highest quality vacation resorts and deliver excellent customer service to owners - and I am going to accept this award from my industry peers as recognition that we must be doing something right! Thank you!"

According to David Clifton, Interval International's managing director EMEA and Asia, the Middle East is already dubbed as one of the fastest growing global regions in the vacation ownership industry. Sector experts at VOIC agreeing with Clifton and Sharafuddin that 'the potential for timeshare in the Middle East is huge; it has an exceptionally bright future'.