Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites, a four-star property in the UAE emirate, has appointed Ajmal Salim as the new director of food and beverage (F&B) in charge of overall related operations, service and culinary.

Prior to this, Salim was director of F&B at JW Marriott Pune, India overseeing 415 rooms, 11 F&B outlets; out of which six were award winning restaurants, and the property boasted one of the largest convention centres in India.

In his new role, Salim will lead and oversee the operations team which consists of The Observatory, a unique dining destination offering panoramic views of Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah; Counter Culture, a café and breakfast hub; and The Croft, a newly opened modern British restaurant led by Chef Darren Velvick.

Salim joins the team with over 18 years of experience, beginning his hospitality journey in 1997 as a trainee with Casiono Group of Hotels / Four Seasons in India and the Maldives. Over the years he has worked with leading hospitality groups such as Le Meridian, Sheraton, Hyatt, Jumeirah and Shangri-La. Salim also has worked closely with the pre-opening teams of Madinat Jumeirah and Al Qasr in Dubai.

Having completed seven years with Marriott International, Salim has had the opportunity to work across numerous brands including JW Marriott, Marriott, Autograph Collection, Renaissance and Courtyard. He has also won several awards such as ‘Pastry Chef of the Year in Middle East’ by Caterer Middle East Awards 2009 and the ‘JW Marriott Continent Chef of the Year, Asia Pacific Australia’ for two years straight, to name a few.

Salim has also had the privilege to work alongside international celebrities such as Curtis Stone and esteemed chefs like Alain Passard, Santi Santamaria, Claude Bosi and Juan Amador in numerous Michelin starred restaurants. Most recently, he was selected to represent the JW Marriott brand in Marriott’s Global Event hosted by Marriott and Arne Sorenson.  – TradeArabia News Service