Kamal Uduwarage appointed Senior Executive Sous Chef at the Fairmont Dubai

In this new role, Uduwarage will be responsible for overseeing the renowned kitchens of The Fairmont Dubai and its diverse and award winning dining and entertainment venues.

Uduwarage's culinary experience has spanned over 16 years in five countries and includes various culinary roles in leading hospitality companies, including InterContinental Hotels and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. He began his culinary career in his native country of Sri Lanka at the Taj Samudra Colombo as Commis 3 chef and was promoted soon after to Commis 2. From 1999 to the present, Uduwarage has held several progressive positions including Commis 1 with the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza in Kuwait and at the Sheraton Bahrain, as well as Chef de Partie positions at Le Meridien Dubai and at the InterContinental Hotel Al Bustan Palace in Oman. Uduwarage later rejoined the Le Meridien Dubai as Sous Chef and within one year was promoted to Executive Sous Chef.

In 2001, Uduwarage joined Fairmont Hotels & Resorts as Sous Chef for the pre opening team at The Fairmont Dubai. He left the Middle East in 2003 to join the company's North American properties including The Fairmont Jasper Lodge and The Fairmont Château Whistler in Canada.

In January 2006, Uduwarage returned to The Fairmont Dubai as Executive Sous Chef. In this position, he was responsible for leading the culinary brigade at Spectrum on One, a unique dining destination, featuring eight interactive kitchens specializing in six influential cuisines. He reinforced the high culinary standards synonymous with the multi award-winning restaurant resulting in the recent accolades at the 2007 Time Out Restaurant awards, including "Highly Commendable Friday Brunch" and "Best Global Cuisine." Earlier this year, Uduwarage led the hotel's culinary department in 2007 Emirates International Salon Culinaire Competition, which earned the hotel 17 awards, including the coveted "Chef of the Year" designation.

Uduwarage holds a Culinary Diploma in International Cookery from Asia Lanka Vacation Education School in Sri Lanka. He is also a member of the hotel's HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) committee and is a leader and coach for the Emirates Culinary Guild.