RIYADH — Dur Hospitality is celebrating a glamorous success as several staff members at three of its properties grab seven culinary titles at the prestigious HORECA 2019 awards held last Nov. 26-28 in the Saudi capital.

A total of six employees at Marriott Airport Hotel, Makarem Ajyad, and Makarem Annakheel earned awards for different categories at the annual Hospitality Salon Culinaire at HORECA 2019, the largest international food, beverage and hospitality exhibition in Saudi Arabia. Three out of the six awarded chefs are Saudi nationals, two of which are women.

From Marriott Airport Hotel, Chef Hanady Suleihem won the bronze medal for the Live Healthy Dish competition along with a BOECKER Hygiene award. Chef Noorodin Hassan won the bronze medal for the Oriental Appetizer, and Station Chef Mohammed Jamil won the bronze medal for the Seafood category along with a BOECKER Hygiene award. Meanwhile, Sous Chef Bandar Al Zahrani and Station Chef Ahmed Abdou from Makarem Ajyad grabbed two merit certificates for the Six Courses Dinner Set Menu. From Makarem Annakheel, Chef Manal Mashhour earned the bronze medal and a merit certificate for the Arabic Sweets and the French Macarons categories.

Commenting on these achievements, Hassan Ahdab, Hotel Operations President at Dur Hospitality, said the HORECA awards are an additional testament to Dur’s leading position in the Saudi hospitality industry. “Over the last four decades, Dur has been adding value to Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector through delivering world-class services.”

Ahdab said the achievements at HORECA confirm Dur’s strategy in training and recruiting more Saudi talents to enrich the hospitality sector and contribute to its growth, in line with Saudi Vision 2030’s ambitious targets.

HORECA’s 9th edition brought together over 150 chefs who vied to create a variety of gourmet selections from 23 different categories in the presence of a panel of international judges from Europe and the Middle East. Besides highlighting the latest culinary trends in the region, the event hosted the World Pastry Cup National Selection for the first time in Saudi Arabia. Also featured during the exhibition were a Saudi Barista competition and a Bed Making competition. — SG