BIOGRAPHY: Mr. Karim Abdelhamid, Vice President of Hotel Operations

The First Group

Publish date: Thursday، 08 September 2022 Last update: Sunday، 11 September 2022

BIOGRAPHY: Mr. Karim Abdelhamid, Vice President of Hotel Operations

With over 25 years of experience in the hospitality sector managing renowned luxury properties worldwide, Karim is the Vice President, Hotel Operations at The First Group.

In his current role, he is responsible for driving operational success, executing profitability strategies, while developing talent for the group's properties. Furthermore, Karim was part of the team who saw The First Collection at Jumeirah Village Circle recently named ‘one of the world’s hottest hotels’ by TripAdvisor.

With a strong track record of building and sustaining cohesive, top-performing teams, Karim has a successful background in multi-property operations, as well as managing prestigious F&B venues, including Michelin star restaurants.

Over the years, Karim has worked at 5-star luxury and lifestyle hotels around the world including The Plaza Hotel – A Fairmont Property in New York, The Ritz Carlton Central Park New York, Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Egypt, Sofitel Philadelphia, Qatar Foundation, The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa, The Knickerbocker Hotel New York, which was the first independent, luxury property in Times Square, the InterContinental Hotels Dubai Festival City and InterContinental Jubail Resort.

In addition, he has developed nine prestigious ultra-luxury hotels including Mandarin Oriental, Park Hyatt, Capella, Solis, MGallery and Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som in Qatar.

His hard work and dedication to bettering the industry have won him accolades from the International Hospitality Institute where he was the Global Hospitality Award Winner and recognized as one of the Global Top 20 Hospitality Executives to Watch in 2022.

Karim is a guest satisfaction enthusiast who demonstrates the ability to increase guest satisfaction scores year on year, while ensuring strong positioning for his properties. He graduated from St. John’s University in New York City with a Bachelors’ Degree in Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management.

To schedule an interview or for further media information please contact:

Khyati Megchiani or Ziad Ashkar at Brazen MENA:

thefirstcollectionbusinessbay@brazenmena.com