With almost two decades of experience in management and leadership, Sultan AlOtaibi is now VP of Property and Assets in one of the biggest hospitality brands in the Kingdom.
Can you tell us about yourself?
My history with Dur Hospitality dates back to the year 2000, when I initially started with the position of General Manager of Makarem, Dur’s Saudi grown hospitality brand. Following this, I was appointed as the Vice President of Property and Asset Management in July 2015 up to date. Complimenting my experience in hospitality is my MBA in International Hospitality Management obtained from the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management. My primary focus is leading and maximising returns of the real estate assets portfolio with the analysis of company investments, creating and maximizing value and ensuring the smooth flow of operations.
Why did DUR choose to develop in the DQ? What makes the DQ special?
As one of the few organizations granted a license to hold real estate in DQ, Dur Hospitality has been more than living up to that privilege and its well-earned reputation.
Chief amongst Dur’s impressive portfolio of developments is the prestigious Darraq project. Distributed across three highly-desired locations within the DQ, Darraq comprises over 400 luxurious, premium residential units representing the height of lavish and modern living in the Kingdom.
DQ has always been known for being the living quarters of diplomats and embassy personnel serving as a home base for those who seek a lifestyle of luxury, convenience and comfort. It’s a place away from the city’s noise: it’s full of green landscapes and fascinating architecture. We head.quartered in DQ as it’s just a five minutes’ drive away from Riyadh’s center and a place that suits prestigious top-tier projects like Darraq.
How have your customers reacted to the new Darraq apartments and villas in the DQ?
As Riyadh’s most illustrious address, Darraq positions residents amongst an active, highly sociable, international community. Numerous opportunities exist to forge international friendships through the hospitality of the many and varied diplomatic, cultural events.
We’ve garnered a significantly positive reaction to the new Darraq apartments and villas in the DQ. The concept of smart and optimized living has the perfect blend of urban architecture, sophisticated elegance and state-of-the-art smart home technology which contributes to the exclusive living experience at the DQ, with high standards of security, round-the-clock hospitality inspired services which significantly make for convenient and comfortable high-end living. Furthermore, the satisfaction and popularity in Darraq was greatly reflected in the rate at which majority of units have been booked by prospective tenants even before the official launch of the fourth phase during the first quarter of this year.
What advice would you give to other aspiring business leaders at this time, in Saudi Arabia?
Regardless of the turmoil experienced by many industries currently, due to the significant transformations, my advice would be to continue investing in diverse opportunities, as the transformations brought about by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 is also shining light on a promising future.
What are your future plans for DUR and Darraq in the DQ?
Dur and Darraq have a handful of projects that are underway, out of which is the 5th phase of the development of Darraq Residences which has a completely new concept and covers an area of 8,736 square meters. The project features 55 fully furnished residential units equipped with the latest smart home systems. Additionally, there’s the 6th phase that covers an area of 31,980 square meters featuring 28 lavish villas.
As for Dur’s plan in the DQ, the company is in the process of launching the Marriott Hotel and Marriott Executive Apartments in the DQ, both of which cover an area of 25,000 square meters and include 80 rooms and suites, as well as 140 5-star luxury executive apartments.
