Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Earlier today, on stage at the Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia taking place at the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah in Riyadh this week, the winners of the 2025 FHS Awards were announced.
The recipient of the Future Leader Award is Lama AlQawasmi, Co-Founder and COO, Hospitality Talents.
In partnership with Sommet Education, the Future Leader Award recognises young, ambitious talent shaping the future of hospitality in Saudi Arabia. Based on three key criteria – innovation, impact and leadership – Lama was chosen as the winner by a jury consisting of Louis Nicolas Barrios, Regional Manager Innovation Education and Investment, UN Tourism; Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & CEO, The Bench; Carlos Díez de la Lastra, Chief Executive Officer, Les Roches and Anouck Weiss, Sommet Education Chief Communication Officer, Co-founder and Executive Vice President of The Sommet Education Foundation.
On the occasion, Anouck Weiss shared: Lama AlQawasmi embodies the empowering, people-centric leadership, entrepreneurial mindset, and deep passion for hospitality that we strive to nurture at Sommet Education. She represents exactly the kind of leader the hospitality world needs – driven by purpose, committed to others, and unafraid to shape the future.
As part of Lama’s prize, she will get access to an exclusive scholarship opportunity within Sommet Education’s portfolio of Master’s, Executive Master’s or part-time education at Glion Institute of Higher Education or Les Roches Global Hospitality in the UK, Switzerland, and Spain, access to Sommet Education’s alumni networks, internships, and job placement opportunities.
The winner of the Impact Leader Award by #FHSWomenPower is Narjes Fattalah, Revenue Manager, Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel.
The award celebrates Saudi-national women who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, career growth, and industry impact. Narjes was chosen as the winner from a selection of candidates by a jury consisting of Dr. Abeer A. Alamri, Skills Development and Talent Optimization Expert; Nikolina Angelkova, Former Minister Tourism, Bulgaria and Sarah Gasim, Senior Vice President, Head of Hotels KSA, JLL.
Narjes Fallatah is one of the very few Saudi females in Revenue Management and she is dedicated to nurturing local talent, empowering women in hospitality, and driving commercial success through data-driven decisions. She has demonstrated a strong belief in and commitment to the industry, successfully paving the way for future careers. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench, organiser of FHS Saudi Arabia
By recognising these rising stars, we aim to empower and support the next generation of hospitality leaders who are already leading with impact, creativity, and purpose in the hospitality space. As part of our commitment to championing gender diversity and empowering women in hospitality, the #FHSWomenPower Impact Leader Award is the first of its kind, recognising outstanding Saudi national women shaping the future of the industry, Worsley added.
FHS Saudi Arabia is taking place at Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh from 11-13 May 2025, with the overarching theme of “Where Vision Shapes Opportunity”. For more information, visit https://www.futurehospitality.com/sa
About The Bench
The Bench has built a legacy as a global curator of opportunity, designing transformative forums and summits that empower the hospitality and travel industries to connect, innovate, and thrive. With over two decades of expertise, The Bench creates platforms that go beyond transactions to inspire collaboration and drive meaningful change.
Each event brings together government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel associations, leading hospitality brands, hotel owners and investors, airlines, destination developers, and more. From flagship gatherings like FHS World (formerly AHIC) and FHS Saudi Arabia, to the Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF) and AviaDev, The Bench creates events where ideas spark, relationships deepen, and investments take flight.
The Bench thrives on fostering dynamic and forward-looking dialogues, uniting industry pioneers to address challenges, seize opportunities, and co-create the future. Each event is crafted to deliver more than just connections – it’s about transforming ideas into action and building a better tomorrow.
Discover more at thebench.com.
About FHS Saudi Arabia
Dates: 11-13 May 2025
Location: Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Sponsors: Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh and Al Khozama Investment as Host Sponsors; Tourism Development Fund (TDF) as Enablement Partner; Taiba Investments as Founding Partner; Ministry of Tourism as Strategic Enabler; Al Rajhi Bank, Amsa Hospitality, Baraka for Real Estate Development & Investment Company, Elaf Group, NEOM, Red Sea Global, Rua Al Madinah, Saudi Icon, The Ascott, and as Strategic Partners; Accor, BWH Hotels, ClubMed, IHG, Marriott International, Radisson Hotel Group, Rotana, and Sommet Education as Headline Sponsors; Aleph Hospitality, ARC-IDC, Ark People Solutions, AtkinsRealis, Baker McKenzie, CBRE, Colliers, Compass Project Consulting, Deloitte, ELE|NA, Growth Partner, H World International, Horwath HTL, IHCL, Jabal Omar, JLL, JT+P, Knight Frank, Louvre Hotels Group, Minor Hotels, Quo, Story Hospitality, STR, The First Group Hospitality, United Hospitality Management, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts as Sponsors; Al Tanfeethi as Hospitality Partner; Rikaz as Experiential Developer; Aristara, Dusit International, Hospitality Chain Co, Hospitality Management Holding, Melia Hotels International, Neo Leap, Rove Hotels, Shaza Hotels, Sophos Hotels, Time Hotels, Trustangle, TV5Monde, Valor Hospitality Partners, and WhiteWater as Exhibitors; Aquivio, Intello AI, and The Natural Bottle as Startup Sponsors.
Anne Bleeker
In2 Consulting
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