ALEPH HOSPITALITY STRENGTHENS GLOBAL LEADERSHIP AND REGIONAL PLATFORM AS IT TARGETS 100 HOTELS BY 2029

New senior appointments and regional offices support rapid expansion across the Middle East and Africa

Dubai, 9 April 2026: Aleph Hospitality, the largest independent hotel management company in the Middle East and Africa, has further strengthened its leadership team and operating platform through regional offices as it enters a new phase of accelerated growth.

With more than 50 hotels in operation and over 30 properties in the pipeline across 23 countries and 39 cities, Aleph Hospitality continues to scale its capabilities to support owners and partners across the region. As part of this expansion, the company has appointed several senior leaders at its offices in Dubai and Casablanca.

Aline Barhouche has been appointed Chief HR Officer, leading the company’s people strategy across its growing portfolio. She oversees leadership development, talent management, culture, and governance while working closely with the executive team and hotel leadership to build strong leadership pipelines and support local teams. Aline brings 23 years of Human Resources experience across Oceania, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Estelle Chambost has moved into the position of Vice President, Learning & Development after ten years with the company. In her new role, she leads the strategy to build a strong learning culture across the organisation, focusing on developing future leaders and leveraging technology and partnerships to deliver scalable development programmes. Estelle has 27 years’ experience in hospitality and emerging leaders programmes.

Marc Matar joins as Vice President, Food & Beverage with a mandate to develop Aleph Hospitality’s F&B division into a key driver of growth and value creation. His focus includes innovation, operational excellence, and owner-focused profitability across Africa and the Middle East. Marc has 25 years of experience in food and beverage, operations, and strategy across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

As part of its strategy to build strong local leadership and operate closer to its hotels and owners, Aleph Hospitality has also begun rolling out new regional offices. In addition to the one already open in Riyadh, a new office is being set up in Casablanca, Morocco, with additional offices planned in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Cape Town, South Africa; and Nairobi, Kenya.

Based in Casablanca and leading the company’s operations in North Africa, Abdellah Essonni has been appointed Regional Vice President for North Africa. With 35 years of experience in hospitality and real estate across four continents, Abdellah oversees the strategic, operational, and financial performance of the region’s portfolio, while driving market expansion, partnerships, and new management and franchise agreements. His appointment reflects Aleph Hospitality’s strategy of empowering experienced regional leaders with full accountability for performance, development and owner relationships.

Bani Haddad, Founder and Co-CEO of Aleph Hospitality said: “Our continued growth reflects the strength of our business model and the increasing demand from hotel owners for an experienced independent operator in the region. By strengthening our leadership team and expanding our regional presence, we are building the capabilities needed to support our next stage of growth and deliver long-term value for our owners.”

Having reached its long-standing goal of operating 50 hotels by 2025, Aleph Hospitality has now set a new milestone: operating 100 hotels by the end of 2029, reinforcing its position as the largest independent hotel management company in the Middle East and Africa.

ALEPH HOSPITALITY STRENGTHENS GLOBAL LEADERSHIP AND REGIONAL PLATFORM AS IT TARGETS 100 HOTELS BY 2029

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