Kempinski Muscat appoints country’s first Omani national director of finance

Five-star Kempinski Hotel Muscat has hired Mohammed Al Harrasi as its director of finance, an Omani national with more than 25 years of experience.

Al Harrasi has been with the property since 2017 when he stepped in as the director of purchasing, having been assisting the hotel’s finance and operational departments since he first joined. Throughout his time at the property, he has been instrumental in monitoring, reporting and controlling cost of sales for the hotel, as well as its audit and control, financial analysis, reporting, budgeting and forecasting.

According to Kempinski, his promotion makes him the Sultanate’s first Omani director of finance, having previously worked as a purchasing manager for IHG Hotels & Resorts and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

General manager Carsten Wiegandt said: “This confirms the keenness and commitment of the hotel management towards its vision and goal of contributing to the promotion of Omani talents.

“At the hotel, we are constantly working to achieve our goal of training and refining national competencies.

“We have seen a remarkable development in the professional capabilities of the Omanis at the hotel, and we are looking forward to promoting other employees with the development of their practical competencies and experience.”

On his new role, Al Harrasi explained: “It is wonderful to develop my skills and experience, and this upgrade is only a translation of their confidence in me and in my ability to assume this responsibility. This position is very important, as it reflects the desire and commitment of Kempinski Hotel Muscat to recruit, train and develop Omani cadres.”

Oman, like many nations in the Gulf, is rapidly boosting nationalisation efforts across key industries. For hospitality, The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, has pledged to create more job opportunities within four- and five-star hotels.

Kempinski Hotel Muscat has been leading the charge on this front, hiring Nadine El Assaad Al Bulushi last year as the county’s first Omani female hotel manager.