World Travel Awards Winners

1 Guest of Honour at the industry’s most important night of the year was HH Prince Bandar bin Saud Bin Khalid, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Al Khozama Management Company, who was presented with the ‘Middle East’s Leading Personality of the Year’ award by Graham Cooke, president and founder of the World Travel Awards.

2 The Al Khozama team with Prince Bandar, the group also won the award for Makkah’s Leading Hotel for the Al Shohada Hotel and Middle East’s Leading Architectural Concept for The Globe, Al Faisaliah Centre.

3 Dr Rajiha Bint Abdul Ameer Bin Ali, Oman’s Minister of Tourism, joined Rochelle Kilgariff, general manager, Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay to receive the award for the Middle East’s Leading Luxury Beach Resort from David Falcon, senior vice president, World Travel Awards.

4 Peter Baumgartner was on hand to receive Etihad’s slew of awards for Middle East’s Leading Airline, Middle East’s Leading Airline Economy Class, Middle East’s Leading Airline First Class, Middle East’s Leading Airline Inflight Entertainment, Middle East’s Leading Cabin Staff and Middle East’s Leading International Marketing Campaign.

5 Mohammed El Emam, country manager UAE, Qatar Airways, collected awards for Middle East’s Leading Airline Business Class and Middle East’s Leading Airline Lounge.

6 Nasser Al Nowais, chairman, Mohammed Almarzook and Selim El Zyr, president and CEO, Rotana Hotels, celebrated as the group beat last year’s total with nine awards for Lebanon’s Leading Business Hotel, Dubai’s Leading Meetings Hotel, Kuwait’s Leading Hotel, Ras Al Khaimah’s Leading Resort, Abu Dhabi’s Leading Business Hotel, Middle East’s Leading Corporate Resort, Middle East’s Leading Luxury Hotel Apartments, Middle East’s Leading Family Resort, and Middle East’s Leading Hotel Brand.

7 The Leading Tourism Development Project went to Aldar’s Yas Island project, which was handed over by TTN publishing director Kim Thomson and Kevin Taylor, group vice president, World Travel Awards and received by Aldar CEO John Aldar and Douglas Macaskill, deputy project director, Yas Island, Aldar Properties.

8 Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority was once again triumphant as Ahmed Hussein, Khaled Al Hashemi and Nasser Al Reyami picked up awards for Middle East’s Leading Business Destination, Middle East’s Leading Destination, Middle East’s Leading Destination Marketing Campaign, Middle East’s Leading Tourist Board and Middle East’s Leading Tourism Property Development Company.

9 In its first season operating in the region Royal Caribbean was judged the Middle East’s Leading Cruise Line and the award was collected by Lakshmi Durai, executive director and Helen Beck, regional director, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

10 Singer Nancy Ajram provided the entertainment.

11 The Kempinski managed Emirates Palace scooped seven honours for the  Middle East’s Leading Meetings & Conference Hotel, Middle East’s Leading Meetings & Conference Resort, UAE’s Leading Hotel, Abu Dhabi’s Leading Beach Resort, Abu Dhabi’s Leading Hotel, Abu Dhabi’s Leading Meetings & Conference Hotel and Abu Dhabi’s Leading Resort.

12 Emaar Hospitality Group took six awards with Emaar Hospitality being voted as the Middle East’s Leading Tourism Property Development Company and The Address Hotels & Resorts winning awards for all its properties in Dubai. The Address Downtown Dubai was Dubai’s Leading City Hotel, The Address Dubai Mall took Dubai’s Leading Lifestyle Hotel, The Address Dubai Marina was Dubai’s Leading Meetings & Conference Hotel, The Palace – The Old Town won Dubai’s Leading City Resort and The Address Montgomerie Dubai was chosen as the Middle East’s Leading Golf Course.

13 For the eighth consecutive year, The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa was recognised as the Best Business Hotel in the island state by Business Traveller Magazine Middle East. In addition, the resort was honored as Bahrain’s Leading Spa Resort by The World Travel Awards 2010. The success brings the total number of WTA accolades for the hotel to 14 over the past years. The award was collected by Hassaan Abdoh, director of sales, Claudia Hardt, director of public relations and communications and general manager Mark Neukomm.

14 CEO Helmut Meckelburg and Najib Saad, Safir regional director of operations were on hand to receive the award for  Safir Al-Sayedah Zeinab Hotel as Syria’s Leading Hotel, from David Falcon. The group also took the award for Iraq’s Leading Hotel.

15 The award for the Middle East’s Leading Travel Agency and Qatar’s Leading Travel Agency were collected by Tareq Abdullatif Taha, general manager, Regency Travel & Tours.

16 The Gulf Hotel Bahrain, unable to be attend the glitzy ceremony on the night, was presented with its award for Bahrain’s Leading Hotel 2010 on the show floor with the coveted statuette presented to CEO Aqeel Raees who has been with the group more than 40 years.

17 Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab received three awards for Dubai’s Leading Hotel, the Middle East’s Leading Hotel and the Middle East’s Leading Luxury Hotel which were received by general manager Heinrich Morio.

18 The award for Yemen’s Leading Hotel went to the Gold Mohur Hotel & Resort and was collected by Saeed Basloom, manager of Warba Trading Company.

19 The team from Rosewood Corniche, Jeddah, were on hand and delighted to collect awards for Saudi Arabia’s Leading Business Hotel, Saudi Arabia’s Leading Hotel.