Ròya International, the largest and oldest hospitality consultancy firm in MEA, is celebrating its 25-year anniversary by honouring the many current and former team members who have contributed to its tremendous success.
Guided by the wise leadership of Founder and CEO Ahmed Ramdan, Ròya International has always been committed to nurturing young talents, recruiting UAE nationals into the hospitality industry, and showcasing authentic Emirati hospitality.
Launched in Dubai in 1998, Ròya International has grown from a small, homegrown business, into a world-renowned hospitality consultancy with prestigious blue-chip clients spread over 35 countries,
Over the past 25 years, the hospitality consultancy has expanded from a team of just two hospitality experts, to over 50 experienced professionals spread across the firm’s regional offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Riyadh. Marking another major milestone for the group, Ròya International will commemorate its 25th year by opening its first European office in Athens, Greece, in Q4 of 2023.
For more than two decades, the group has been providing up-and-coming Emirati and international hospitality professionals with opportunities to work on major projects as diverse as luxury hotels, large-scale tourism destinations and innovative F&B destinations. To date, Ròya International has brought more than 15 leading hotel brands to the region, worked on over 120 hotel management agreements and advised on crucial regional government projects in UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia
Dedicated to providing a healthy, inspiring and motivational working environment, many of the group’s employees have been with the brand for as long as ten to 18 years.
Some of these team members have also been with the nurturing company ever since they were fresh graduates. Ròya International launched its international internship scheme in 2015, inviting graduates from the world’s top hospitality schools in Switzerland and France to shadow and learn from Ròya employees. Given the success of this scheme, the team then brought it to the UAE in 2022. Now talented Emirati interns from Abu Dhabi University, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and other local educational institutions can gain first-hand experience and on-the-job training with the UAE’s most iconic hospitality consultancy.
Accounts Supervisor, Affan Sonde has been with Ròya International for 14 years.
He says: “For me, the best part of working at Ròya International is having the privilege to learn from Mr. Ahmed Ramdan. We are given freedom to work independently, and I love the positive culture of the company. Roya is my second family. Even though I have been offered other enticing opportunities throughout the years, I have never been tempted to leave. I have learnt so much about opening hospitality outlets, including how to consider and manage the location, footfall, lease agreement, ROI projections, pre opening budgeting, yearly budgeting, quality of food, service, manning and costing.”
Meanwhile, Kate Harrison, Director of the Hospitality Advisory at Ròya International, says:
“My 16 years with Ròya has helped me to develop and broaden my knowledge in a wide range of hospitality topics. It has also exposed me to different nationalities, cultures, and levels of hierarchy, which I would never have otherwise encountered. Ròya has tested me, and put me in situations beyond my comfort levels, and shown me that I have the strength and solutions to overcome any challenges.”
Along with its extraordinary employee retention rates, Ròya International prides itself on being a springboard for those who are just starting out in their hospitality career. Many former Ròya International employees have been picked up by major international conglomerates such as Marriott, IHG, PWC, JLL and Knight Frank, and the group relishes its position as a world-leading incubator for hospitality talents.
For instance, Tomilola Onafowokan, former Asset Management Analyst at Roya International has now gone on to become a Senior Analyst at JLL Kenya. She thanks the team for giving her a head start to her career.
“Being exposed to Dubai’s dynamic hospitality industry and being able to work with clients across the GCC made me a more resilient and analytical professional. The management takes chances on young inexperienced professionals and offers them the training and tools that they need to solidify their expertise, and move on to conquer more opportunities.”
During her time with the group, Tomilola was personally involved with training and incubating new talents.
She says: “I loved the camaraderie around the office, too. It kept us constantly motivated to do our best for our clients. In fact, my favourite part of the job was training the interns and supporting them as they developed their skills and took their first steps into the real world of work. Our interns surpassed expectations and some went on to secure full-time positions in other leading consulting companies. This just shows the impact that Roya can make. I count my involvement with Roya’s internship scheme as one of my greatest achievements.”
Bhavika Vanjani, Asset Management Consultant at The First Group UAE was a Senior Consultant at Ròya International for six years. She notes that her time with Roya helped her build a solid work ethic, and learn the value of discipline and commitment.
She says: ” Ròya’s inclusive work environment, great leadership and mentorship schemes set it apart from every other hospitality group. It was a privilege to work with them on some of the world’s top hotels and be part of many of the Roya’s most important milestone projects.”
To find out more about Ròya International, please visit royainternational.com.
