Travelport GDS appoints Faris Azzee new Country Manager for UAE

By ensuring a strong management team is in place to provide a high standard of service with current and future Galileo subscribers, Travelport GDS further reinforces its commitment to the marketplace.

Taking the helm of the already experienced UAE team, Faris brings with him a wealth of experience from his tenure at Amadeus, having most recently served as Sales Director for Dubai and Northern Emirates. Prior to this, Faris held the position of General Manager in the Amadeus Qatar office, where he was responsible for setting up new operations and recruiting a new team.

Faris, who will continue to work with the current distributor, Emquest, until the termination of the 2001 agreement, will report into Travelport GDS's Vice President for the Middle East, Rabih Saab. He will have overall responsibility for ensuring that existing Galileo customers continue to receive high levels of service and dedicated account management, in addition to growing the business and attracting further Galileo customers in the UAE.

"We are delighted to announce Faris' appointment and are keen to tap into his consumer and industry knowledge and experience to maintain our position as one of the world's largest GDS providers. Faris' many years of experience in the travel industry makes him the perfect choice as we continue to expand our reach in the Middle East,"

said Rabih Saab.

"Travelport GDS is recognized as the leading provider of global distribution systems in the Middle East and I am thrilled to be part of such a dynamic organisation," said Faris. "My new role presents me with a great opportunity to drive growth in this important market. We have a highly experienced team in place and industry leading technology and solutions to offer to our customers - I feel very excited about the future!"

Saab added, "The addition of Faris fits in neatly with our plans announced back in June. We will be investing tens of millions of dollars (US) in the Middle East to set up a new, highly efficient direct support network for travel agents in the UAE which will help lead our development in the region."

Over the last few months, Travelport GDS has made several additional key management appointments across the region, and has also expanded its state-of-the-art office in Dubai Silicon Oasis.