A decade of delivery, expansion and impact in shaping the hospitality landscape
Dubai, UAE 26 October 2025: The Hospitality Asset Managers Association Middle East & Africa (HAMA MEA) is celebrating 10 years of success in shaping the region’s hospitality investment and asset management landscape.
Since its establishment in 2015, HAMA MEA has expanded its role from a member association to become a trusted convenor, educator and data‑driven voice for hospitality asset owners, operators, investors and policy makers across the region.
HAMA MEA’s 10th anniversary coincides with the 20th anniversary edition of Future Hospitality Summit – FHS World, taking place in Dubai this week. At this year’s event HAMA MEA will be hosting a workshop on ‘The Future of Hotel Asset Management’ on day two of FHS World, Tuesday 28 October. This dynamic workshop will bring together senior asset managers, operators, and investors to explore the trends defining the next chapter in hospitality performance.
Commenting on the 10th anniversary, René Beil, President, HAMA MEA, said: “HAMA MEA was created to raise the game for owners and the hospitality profession, bring owners, operators, advisors, academia and government together to listen, learn and turn shared experience into practical next steps. Our work is intentionally humble and evidence-led: no egos, just useful collaboration that translates data into decisions which protect value and jobs. As we celebrate our first decade of delivery, I am beyond grateful to our members and partners who share our spirit and remember that the hotels, not us, are the headline. Together, we help the ecosystem make sensible decisions that stand up in the real world.”
Over the last 10 years, HAMA MEA has evolved to deliver everything from education to engagement and market intelligence to masterclasses.
Recent highlights include masterclasses with Les Roches, offering hands-on, asset management content and mentorship for MBA cohorts; closed‑door roundtables in the UAE and Saudi Arabia addressing the challenges of pre-opening; publication of hygiene and operations learnings post‑COVID; and several data-driven regional to support owner boards and lenders on pricing, demand and pipeline risk.
HAMA MEA’s agenda for the next 12 months includes Asset Productivity examining how to raise income; Green Transition looking at decarbonization and sustainable procurement; Digital & Data, covering owner‑aligned KPIs, automated reporting, and AI‑assisted planning; and Education Access focusing on scholarship, internships and mentorships.
A special Saudi & Africa Focus, covering capability building for giga‑project pre‑openings and investment forums that connect institutional and family capital to bankable projects, is also in the pipeline.
Amit Nayak, CHA, Vice President, HAMA MEA commented: “Our role is to turn market signals into asset-level action—fast and clear. We pair hard data with on-the-ground realities: pre-opening discipline, thoughtful capex, sharper F&B and steady post-opening performance. We’re students of the market who roll up our sleeves with owners and operators to pressure-test assumptions and move from insight to action. Owners don’t need noise; they need clarity, and when assets are resilient, teams are supported and guests choose our destinations again. For us, that’s success.”
“It’s an incredible honor to be part of this journey,” added Ayat Mana, Project Lead for the 10-Year Celebration and the first Emirati woman to join HAMA MEA. “This is not just a celebration of the past—it’s a signal of inclusive leadership and opportunity in our industry’s future.”
“What started as a small, passionate community has now become an influential voice in shaping hospitality investment decisions across the region,” concluded Santhosh Menon, Treasurer of HAMA MEA. “This milestone represents a commitment to professionalism, transparency, and performance.”
Ends
About HAMA MEA
The Hospitality Asset Managers Association Middle East & Africa (HAMA MEA) is a not‑for‑profit association representing a growing network of hotel asset management professionals across the region. Since its founding in 2015 in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), HAMA MEA has focused on advancing the discipline of hotel asset management through education, collaboration and advocacy. HAMA MEA is part of the global HAMA network with chapters in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan and China.
HAMA MEA has delivered:
• Education & Talent: Designed and delivered member learning programs including recurring Asset Management Masterclasses with Les Roches MBA cohorts; leadership and feedback workshops; and case‑based learning with global faculty with its CHAM certification. Programming has focused on practical levers to lift asset productivity, governance and value creation while developing the next generation of regional asset managers.
• Market Intelligence & Benchmarking: Regular, data‑led briefings with leading analytics partners have informed members’ decision‑making on ADR, RevPAR, occupancy trends, airlift, and pipeline dynamics. These sessions strengthen underwriting, capex timing, and operating strategies for assets across the Gulf, North Africa and Sub‑Saharan Africa.
• Ecosystem & Policy Engagement: HAMA MEA has convened closed‑door roundtables alongside major industry forums to align owners, operators and government stakeholders on pre‑opening challenges, workforce development, sustainability and the investment climate. The association has worked with free‑zone authorities, tourism bodies and economic development entities to help translate policy into operational reality at the asset level.
• Investment & Development Support: Through curated introductions and thematic briefings, HAMA MEA connects capital to opportunities—spanning conversions, adaptive reuse, mixed‑use lifestyle developments, and growth corridors in KSA and Africa—while sharing playbooks on pre‑opening discipline and post‑opening stabilization.
• Community & Partnerships: The association’s growing partner network includes leading hospitality owners, operators, advisors, law firms, academia and data platforms. Long‑standing collaboration with entities such as Dubai FDI, DIFC, Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, HotStats, Bird & Bird, and others has amplified member value and industry outcomes.
• Recognition: HAMA MEA leadership has been recognized at regional forums for advancing professional standards, investment discipline and ecosystem collaboration across MEA hospitality.
Key activations and engagements in last five years
• Les Roches × HAMA MEA Masterclass Series hosted with leading Dubai properties: SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences (Jan 2022), W Dubai – Mina Seyahi (Jul 2023), and JW Marriott Hotel Marina (Nov 2024). Hands‑on sessions connected MBA candidates with owners and operators while showcasing Dubai as a living classroom.
• AHIC / Future Hospitality Summit panels on capital formation and FDI — convening Dubai FDI, ADIO and Morocco’s SMIT to crowd in institutional and family capital to high‑quality projects across MEA.
• White Paper launch with partners from industry and academia on hygiene & operations post‑COVID (Al Nafoorah, Dec 2022), turning lessons learned into property‑level action checklists.
• Owner workshops and members’ receptions hosted with ecosystem partners — including JLL, Dubai Tourism & Dubai Municipality — to translate policy & planning into asset‑level execution (Summer 2021).
• Hotel Show Saudi Arabia leadership session on Vision 2030 hospitality and tourism, advancing cross‑border know‑how transfer for KSA pipeline delivery.
• Media & Community: feature coverage introducing HAMA MEA’s mission to the wider market (Hotelier Middle East, June 2021) and ongoing recognition of board leadership for professional standards and collaboration across the sector.