Emaar Hospitality Group announces new appointments at Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels

Haidar joins Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels from the position of Director of Food and Beverage at The Address Dubai Mall, another leading Emaar Hospitality Group property, where he successfully oversaw 10 Food and Beverage outlets including meeting facilities and 156 staff. In his new role, Haidar will be responsible for the F&B operation, administration and profitability of eight diverse culinary outlets within the two popular Downtown Dubai hotels.

Haidar brings more than a decade of experience in the hospitality business to his new role, much of which has been spent in the UAE - within Emaar Hospitality Group and other leading hospitality groups. In addition to his extensive experience in the Middle East, Riad has also applied his talents in Europe, working in France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Executive Chef Spencer Lee Black joins Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels from Al Murooj Rotana Hotel where he also held the position of Executive Chef, overseeing the hotel's 5 restaurants, pool bar, room service, executive club and banquet operations. Spencer brings more than two decades of experience to his role, with half the years of his professional career being spent in Dubai, at properties such as Movenpick Jumeirah Beach, Grosvenor House West Marina Beach and Le Royal Beach Resort and Spa in Dubai.

With an international career spanning stints in the US - in New York as Head Chef at Theo Restaurant among other posts in the Big Apple and Brooklyn - and a varied portfolio of F&B experience at leading properties in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar, Spencer is perfectly suited to lead the Hotels' multicultural team. In addition to his hands-on experience of many years, Spencer has completed intensive training as part of the prestigious Culinary Arts Program of the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon.

"Riad and Spencer will be quite the powerful duo on our F&B team. These two high-level appointments are set to further solidify our strong and unique restaurant offering within the bustling Downtown Dubai area. Our award-winning outlets are popular amongst both Dubai residents and tourists alike and have received several recognitions for their quality of food, service and unique ambience. Riad and Spencer have a firm foundation on which to build the hotels' F&B reputation even further and they seem to have plenty of exciting ideas on new directions in which to take our menu offerings."

Al Manzil Hotel's Boulevard Café and The Courtyard restaurant recently took home awards in the Eating Out categories for French (under AED400) and Middle Eastern & African respectively at the tenth annual What's On Awards Dubai ceremony held in October. F&B outlets at the two hotels currently include a number of all-day dining restaurants, café outlets and a sports grill.