Sabre Travel Network appoints Daniel Naoumovitch to lead Middle East business

Launched in February 2005, Sabre Travel Network Middle East is the joint venture between Sabre Travel Network and Gulf Air that came to replace a 16-year marketing agreement between the two companies.

Naoumovitch, who has held the role of CEO in an acting capacity since the company's launch, will be based in Bahrain and responsible for all business operations in the 11 countries covered by the joint venture. "Daniel is a strong leader who will help drive our Middle East business forward," said Richard Adams, senior vice president for Sabre Travel Network Europe, Middle East and Africa. "The business has already taken on some great initiatives since its launch six months ago and a large part of this has been due to Daniel's leadership and experience in the region".

Naoumovitch said one of his key priorities would be to ensure Sabre Travel Network Middle East can simultaneously meet the differing demands of travel suppliers and travel agencies. He said he planned to do this by using Sabre Travel Network's global experience, long history of successful supplier and agency relationships, and technology expertise.

"Since the official launch of Sabre Travel Network Middle East five months ago, we have sought to strengthen our position in the market by deploying the most appropriate resources within all parts of the Sabre business," Naoumovitch said. "Our existing infrastructure is currently being reinforced with significant investment in manpower, helpdesk, training, technical support, hardware and the latest technologies, keeping Sabre at the forefront of the fast changing trends in the industry. We are already beginning to experience the impact of these changes and I look forward to taking this success even further".

Naoumovitch is a fluent Arabic speaker with a 26-year multinational background, having worked in various positions within Sabre Airline Solutions and Sabre Travel Network in the Middle East, the UK, and North America. Before joining Sabre, he held senior positions in Qatar Airways and American Airlines.

"Daniel's diverse background will help our business navigate in a rapidly changing market place," said Adams. "He has the right experience and skills to build on our success and drive even more value for our customers in the Middle East region."

Sabre Travel Network Middle East offers technology services, bookable travel products and distribution services for travel agencies, corporations and travel suppliers in the region. The agreement includes a five-year contract with Sabre Airline Solutions for the SabreSonic suite of products for passenger management, as well as additional operational software and consulting services from Sabre Airline Solutions.