Fairmont Hotels Middle East
General Manager - Fairmont Al Khobar (Pre-Opening)
- Permanent
- Khobar, Saudi Arabia
- Experience 10 - 15 yrs
Job expiry date: 09/04/2026
Job overview
Date posted
23/02/2026
Location
Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Salary
Undisclosed
Compensation
Comprehensive package
Job description
The General Manager – Fairmont Al Khobar (Pre-Opening) is the highest on-property executive leader responsible for overseeing the successful pre-opening, launch, and long-term positioning of a flagship luxury hotel scheduled to open in early 2027. This role carries full accountability for strategic direction, operational excellence, financial performance, brand positioning, owner relations, and cultural leadership. Acting as a true ambassador of luxury hospitality, the General Manager will lead all aspects of hotel development from pre-opening planning, recruitment, brand integration, and systems implementation to market positioning, revenue strategy, and guest experience design. The role requires a visionary leader who blends entrepreneurial thinking with disciplined financial acumen, ensuring that the hotel not only meets but exceeds ownership investment objectives while delivering a world-class guest experience. The General Manager will cultivate a culture of excellence, innovation, and accountability, inspiring colleagues to consistently exceed expectations and create memorable guest journeys. In close partnership with ownership, corporate leadership, and the local community, the role will establish the hotel as a benchmark luxury destination in the region. This position demands a hands-on leader with deep expertise in luxury operations, pre-opening execution, stakeholder management, and revenue growth strategies, capable of navigating complex environments while maintaining uncompromising standards of quality and service.
Required skills
Key responsibilities
- Lead the full pre-opening lifecycle including strategic planning, budgeting, recruitment, brand integration, operational setup, and successful market launch of the hotel.
- Develop and execute a comprehensive business plan aligned with ownership investment objectives, ensuring asset preservation and long-term value creation.
- Drive revenue growth through strategic oversight of sales, marketing, distribution, and revenue management initiatives tailored to the luxury segment.
- Oversee full P&L accountability, including financial forecasting, budgeting, cost optimization, and performance reporting to ownership and corporate leadership.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with owners, investors, community leaders, government entities, and key stakeholders to enhance the hotel’s positioning and reputation.
- Establish and embed a strong service culture focused on quality, innovation, personalization, and exceeding guest expectations.
- Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing executive leadership team, fostering collaboration, accountability, and continuous professional growth.
- Ensure operational excellence across all departments including Rooms, F&B, Culinary, Finance, HR, Engineering, and Sales, maintaining brand standards at all times.
- Oversee VIP guest relations and ensure adherence to international diplomatic and royal protocols where applicable.
- Lead renovation, development, and capital expenditure projects where required, ensuring timely delivery, transparency, and budget adherence.
- Champion a culture of innovation, encouraging calculated risk-taking, continuous improvement, and creative problem-solving across the organization.
- Monitor guest satisfaction metrics, online reputation scores, and service quality indicators, implementing corrective actions where necessary.
- Drive community engagement initiatives and position the hotel as a key contributor to the local tourism and business ecosystem.
- Implement governance, compliance, and risk management frameworks to safeguard the hotel’s operational and reputational integrity.
- Recognize and reward outstanding performance while building a succession pipeline to sustain long-term organizational success.
Experience & skills
- Proven experience as a General Manager within a luxury hotel environment, with a strong track record of delivering financial and operational excellence.
- Demonstrated experience managing pre-opening and hotel launch environments, including project planning and execution.
- Strong educational background with relevant professional qualifications and commitment to continuous learning.
- Extensive knowledge of luxury hospitality standards, brand positioning, and high-end guest experience design.
- Exceptional financial acumen with proven experience managing full P&L responsibilities and aligning performance with ownership objectives.
- Strong experience in managing and nurturing owner relationships in a transparent, strategic, and results-driven manner.
- Proven ability to build and sustain inclusive, high-performing, and service-oriented organizational cultures.
- Expertise in sales, marketing, and revenue management within competitive luxury markets.
- Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence at executive level.
- Fluency in English; additional languages considered an advantage.
- Strong entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and adapt to changing market conditions.
- Demonstrated experience handling VIP guests, international protocol standards, and high-profile clientele.
- Ability to prioritize effectively, manage multiple strategic initiatives simultaneously, and operate successfully in a fast-paced environment.
- Professional presence, charisma, and natural ability to connect with guests, colleagues, and stakeholders.
- Passion for creating exceptional guest experiences and building a legacy of service excellence.