EAHM gears for phenomenal demand for hospitality professionals
dubai — Demand for professionals specialising in hospitality and hotel management is projected to grow phenomenally in the Middle East, against the backdrop of recent reports that the region has overtaken Europe in terms of new hotel rooms projected to come up in the next five years. The hospitality industry is the world’s largest employer.
According to The Middle East Hotel Construction Overview report by Top Hotel Projects, the Middle East is set to add 238,963 new hotel rooms to its current supply, against 214,743 guest rooms set to open in Europe. The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM), an integral part of the Jumeirah Group, ranked among the Top 10 hotel management schools globally, is fully geared to groom top notch professionals.
Judy Hou, managing director of EAHM, says: “These reports clearly demonstrate that the Gulf and the entire Middle East is in dire need of high-calibre and fully trained professionals to run these hotels efficiently and to world standards. The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management already boasts 96 per cent employability rate of its graduates. We will need to expand our facilities to meet the projected higher demand.”
EAHM, in academic association with the prestigious Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Switzerland, offers BBA and MBA degree programs in International Hospitality Management. The academy is recognized by the UAE Ministry of Education - Higher Education Affairs, the Institute of Hospitality, UK, and International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education, Australasia.
The UAE tops the list with 222 hotel projects under construction with 126,576 rooms, followed by Saudi Arabia with 143 projects comprising 55,810 rooms.
Jumeirah, along with a host of other international hotel brands are looking to expand operations into the region. Jumeirah recently announced it is to operate the 1,000key Jabal Omar Jumeirah in Makkah, and is opening two Jumeirah luxury hotels in Abu Dhabi this year.