Salima Hussaini Recognized in Hozpitality's Best 30 HR Leaders Powerlist in the Middle East for 2025
Hussaini excels in government relations and compliance, building key partnerships with UAE authorities to streamline workforce management and ensure regulatory adherence. Her integrated approach aligns health and safety, compensation, and talent development to boost employee satisfaction and business performance.
Salima Hussaini has been honored in Hozpitality's prestigious Best 30 HR Leaders Powerlist for 2025, celebrating her remarkable 15-year journey as a transformative HR leader in the Middle Eastern hospitality sector. Currently serving as Area Director HR Middle East while simultaneously holding the Director of HR position at Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, The Palm, Hussaini has established herself as one of the region's most influential human capital strategists.
With a career spanning luxury brand including Taj Hotels, Fairmont, and Raffles, Hussaini has developed a comprehensive expertise in all facets of hospitality HR. Her strategic leadership at Taj Exotica since 2021 has set new benchmarks for talent management, having implemented innovative programs in recruitment, learning & development, and government relations that have become models across IHCL's Middle Eastern portfolio.
Hussaini's recognition as Educator of the Year (Caterer Middle East Awards 2010) and HR Person of the Year finalist (Hotelier Middle East Awards 2011) early in her career foreshadowed the impact she would make on the industry. Her ability to balance operational HR excellence with strategic vision is evident in her dual role, where she simultaneously drives property-level people operations while shaping regional HR strategies for Taj's Middle Eastern expansion.
A particular strength lies in Hussaini's mastery of government relations and compliance, having established vital partnerships with UAE authorities that streamline workforce management while ensuring rigorous adherence to labor regulations. Her holistic approach integrates health and safety programs, compensation benchmarking, and talent pipeline development into cohesive people strategies that deliver both employee satisfaction and business results.
This recognition acknowledges Hussaini's unique capacity to operate at both macro and micro levels of HR leadership, making her an invaluable asset to Taj Hotels' regional growth. Her continued contributions are shaping the future of hospitality HR in the Middle East, blending operational rigor with visionary people development.
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