An English flavour to Dubai

dubai - Debrah Dhugga will lead operations at new Dukes hotel in Dubai

Dubai will welcome its first Dukes Dubai property by the end of the year and the woman to spearhead the project is Debrah Dhugga, managing director, Dukes Collection.

"My focus for the last 18 months has been the upcoming launch of Dukes Dubai, the first international property under the Dukes Collection. Due to open at the end of the year, we are hugely excited about bringing the best of British hospitality to Dubai and expanding on the success of Dukes London," said Dhugga.

She thinks Dubai is one of the most liberal cities in the Middle East with great opportunities for career enhancement and good working prospects for anyone with a strong desire to succeed, including Emirati women. The emirate is also invested in providing equal opportunities and encouraging female leaders.

"A lot of young women choose to attend European and US universities, where they gain valuable experience in different industries. I think it's imperative that they bring these skills and learning back to the UAE to add to the workforce," said Dhugga.

"For both local and expatriate career women, the empowerment opportunities are only growing, and with companies like Dukes Collection expanding into the region, I am excited to see how the female workforce develops over the next few years."

Dubai's evolution
Dhugga, who holds a fellowship with the Institute of Hospitality and is a member of the Institute of Directors, the Spa Association Advisory Board and Business Women Leaders, thinks Dubai is constantly changing and this is part of its widespread consumer appeal.

"In the years since we began working on Dukes Dubai, I have seen huge growth and unlimited expansion of everything from tourist attractions to hospitality services and business hubs. From rock concerts to indoor skiing to opulent shopping malls, Dubai has something for everyone and has been attracting workers from virtually all corners of the world since the 1980s," she said.

With Expo 2020 fast approaching, Dubai is now entering a new phase of development and economic opportunity. "Expo 2020 is a game changer for Dubai and the UAE and the Dukes Collection is most definitely ready for it. The event will bring over 180 nations to the emirate, bringing with it an international audience."

Dhugga is responsible for all operations at the century-old hotel, reporting directly to the hotel's owner, Seven Tides, in Dubai.

Unlike many who reach the top rung in luxury hotel management, Dhugga's experience goes beyond hospitality. Prior to joining Dukes London, she was director of retail and spa at ghd, a leading Leeds, UK-based beauty brand boasting revenues of over £120 million.

Experience
Previously, Dhugga spent four-and-a-half years as CEO of Tom's Companies, a Durham, UK-based hotel, and restaurant and spa group with holdings including The Samling and Seaham Hall hotels. There, she oversaw a staff of more than 200, including the Tom's Companies executive management team.

Much of Dhugga's experience on the way up was in sales and marketing, including as director of sales of Malmaison Hotels from 1996 to 2005 and area sales director of the Thistle hotel group.

Born and raised in Northumberland, Dhugga gained a marketing degree and is married with two children.

The go-getter started her career in 1981 and joined Swallow Hotels as a trainee hotel manager. "This was the first step on a 35-year journey, and I worked my way up through the ranks and gained experience in different departments before I decided to focus on front of house management," said Dhugga.

"My time there was instrumental for my professional learning curve, working with a small core team to grow the presence of Europe's first dedicated boutique lifestyle brand. I was heavily involved in brand development and operational standards, as well as directing the sales and marketing team; which gave me immense exposure to various facets of the business," informed Dhugga.

Mentoring women
Dhugga said that a career in the hospitality industry has historically not been the first choice for Emirati women due to cultural strictures, but times are changing and the industry has worked to present a more attractive and accessible face to prospective female employees from the region.

In the last decade, Emirati women have begun to play a more active and visible role in shaping UAE society, economic development and the local community. Women such as Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, who has held various UAE government portfolios, and who is currently the Minister of State for Tolerance, have spearheaded this.

"As a female hotelier, I will look to inspire women to take their career to the next level and to continue to support the UAE as a hub for women in business," said Dhugga.

"I am passionate about the role that women play in the global hospitality sector, and spoke at this year's Arabian Travel Market on encouraging women in the UAE to develop careers in this most exciting of industries. In the UK, I am a huge advocate of using mentorship as a tool to bring people into the hospitality industry, and I believe this is something that could be harnessed more actively in the UAE to encourage more women to develop their careers in the business community," concluded Dhugga.

- sandhya@khaleejtimes.com