Al Taameer, the Kuwaiti company boasting assets in excess of $150 million in 11 countries, is positioning itself in the lucrative hospitality and leisure markets. On a visit to Lebanon for the launch of its first Ramada hotel in Beirut, Al Taameer’s vice chairman Najeeb al-Saleh sat with Executive Magazine to discuss the company’s latest venture. E Al Taameer has recently acquired the franchise for Ramada hotels in the Middle East. What motivated your decision to open your first hotel in Beirut? The Ramada franchise deal, which was signed in June last year, encompasses six countries — Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Libya, Jordan and Iraq. We decided to pick Lebanon as our first destination because we had an excellent opportunity with this venue, which is located in downtown Beirut. Another reason is that Lebanon’s hotels can be positioned on both segments of tourism and business hospitality, contrary to other countries where
