Preferred Hotels & Resorts has welcomed international hotelier Claudio Roscigno as the its regional director, Middle East & North Africa, based out of the brand's new regional headquarters in Dubai.

With over 15 years of industry experience and an international pedigree that includes senior executive roles with Rosewood Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Roscigno has developed front office and food and beverage (F&B) operations and experienced new hotel openings across three continents. In addition, he has held responsibility for various regional sales office set-ups and headed-up specific task force management projects.

"Claudio's well-rounded industry expertise and regional exposure in Beirut and Doha will add a new dimension to our business as we grow our Dubai-based team and MENA portfolio. The Middle East & North Africa region is pivotal in our growth strategy, which is already on its own fast-track growth trajectory, with a total of 91 hotels from 14 countries joining our portfolio in 2015," said Saurabh Rai, executive vice president, Preferred Hotels & Resorts.

"I am looking forward to maximising the opportunities and overcoming the challenges that an exciting and demanding role like this will afford. The Mena region is one of the fastest-growing luxury hotel markets in the world today and my front office, sales and marketing experience will stand me in good stead, as Preferred Hotels & Resorts continues to expand its regional footprint," said Roscigno.

On top of ensuring optimal revenue generation and exposure for existing Preferred Hotels & Resorts properties in the region, in his new role, Roscigno will be targeting Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia; Manama, Bahrain; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Cairo, Egypt and Beirut, Lebanon as part of the development plan. - TradeArabia News Service