Haitham Mattar Recognized Among Hozpitality's Best 30 Hospitality and Tourism Leaders in the Middle East for 2024

Hozpitality Group is proud to recognize Haitham Mattar, Managing Director for the Middle East, Africa, and Southwest Asia at IHG Hotels & Resorts, as one of the Top 30 Hospitality and Tourism Leaders in the Middle East for 2024. With more than 25 years of exemplary experience in the hospitality and tourism sectors, Mattar is renowned for his visionary leadership, expertise in destination development, and capacity to drive growth and promote innovation within the industry.

Since joining IHG Hotels & Resorts in April 2021, Mattar has been instrumental in overseeing the company's expansive portfolio across the Middle East, Africa, and Southwest Asia. His leadership has been pivotal in aligning IHG's business strategy with market demands, focusing on delivering enhanced value to team members, hotel owners, and partners. With over 165 hotels under operation and a pipeline of 102 new hotels set to open within the next three to five years, Mattar has been driving growth while ensuring that IHG maintains its commitment to providing world-class guest experiences across brands like InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, and Hotel Indigo.

Prior to his role at IHG, Mattar served as Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia from 2019 to 2021. In this role, he advised on tourism strategy implementation across the implementation of tourism strategy, building tourism infrastructure, developing tourism products, establishing destination management companies (DMCs), and expanding airlift capabilities to key international markets. His strategic oversight helped position Saudi Arabia as a prominent global travel destination, with efforts concentrated on sustainable tourism and international partnerships.

Mattar's most notable achievement was his role as CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) from 2015 to 2019, where he led the transformation of the emirate into one of the fastest-growing travel destinations in the world. Reporting directly to His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Mattar spearheaded the creation of Ras Al Khaimah's first-ever tourism strategy, rebranding the destination and carving out a niche in adventure tourism. His leadership resulted in the launch of world-renowned attractions, including developing the world's longest zipline at Jebel Jais which helped solidify Ras Al Khaimah's reputation as an adventure tourism hub.

Under his tenure, the contribution of tourism to the Emirate's GDP grew by 10% annually, while the average length of stay increased by 20%. Mattar attracted over $600 million in hospitality investments, expanded representation offices to seven countries, and introduced policies that significantly boosted investor confidence. His innovative initiatives helped Ras Al Khaimah increase hotel occupancy rates from 64% to 75% and elevate its ADR (Average Daily Rate) and RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room), making it one of the top-performing destinations in the UAE.

Mattar's extensive global career includes his role as Regional Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Hilton Worldwide from 2011 to 2015. He led the sales and marketing strategy across the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Turkey, and Russia, overseeing 136 operational hotels and supporting the launch of over 90 new properties. He also directed franchise operations and developed new systems to support franchise hotels, all while managing owner relationships and driving talent development initiatives for over 240 sales team members.

Earlier in his career, Mattar held leadership positions at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) from 2006 to 2011, where he set sales and marketing strategies for 90 hotels across the Middle East and Africa, drove brand marketing campaigns, oversaw investor relations, and supported new hotel developments.

Haitham Mattar is widely regarded as a transformational leader who builds high-performing teams, fosters strategic growth, and positions destinations for long-term success. His expertise in tourism board development, destination marketing, digital transformation, and airlift development has earned him a reputation as one of the most influential figures in the Middle East's hospitality and tourism industries.