Sofitel Dubai Downtown appoints David Watson as Food & Beverage Manager to drive culinary innovation and operational excellence
With over 12 years of experience in luxury hospitality, Watson brings deep expertise in multi-outlet operations, pre-openings, concept development, and service strategy—key strengths that align seamlessly with Sofitel's commitment to exceptional guest experiences and innovation across its F&B offerings.
Known for his hands-on leadership style and precision-driven approach, Watson joins the property at a pivotal time as it continues to evolve its culinary narrative. In his new role, he will oversee the hotel's diverse food and beverage portfolio, including destination restaurants, lounges, bars, and in-room dining. His focus will be on enhancing operational consistency, strengthening service culture, and creating distinctive dining moments that resonate with both local and international guests. Watson's career spans key leadership positions across high-profile operations in the region, where he has consistently demonstrated his ability to develop strong teams, implement high-impact service standards, and deliver results in both guest satisfaction and financial performance. He is known for his attention to detail, cultural intelligence, and ability to cultivate empowered, high-performing teams.
'My purpose is to cultivate a culture of respect, collaboration, and continuous growth empowering our team to thrive and take pride in every moment of service, ' said David. 'Together, we will elevate every dining experience, create lasting impressions, and set new standards of excellence that reflect the heart of our brand.'
His appointment comes as Sofitel Dubai Downtown continues to refine its food and beverage identity, aligning with the brand's commitment to modern luxury, effortless elegance, and authentic French art de vivre.
Mohamed Hawwam, General Manager of Sofitel Dubai Downtown, commented:
'David brings with him not only a wealth of experience but also the ability to inspire and elevate those around him. His approach is grounded in operational excellence and a deep understanding of what makes a guest experience truly memorable. As we enter an exciting chapter for our restaurants and bars, his leadership will be instrumental in delivering the creativity, sophistication, and service our guests expect.'
David will play a central role in the strategic evolution of Sofitel Dubai Downtown's culinary positioning, ensuring the hotel continues to serve as a dining destination at the heart of Downtown Dubai.
About Sofitel Dubai Downtown
Sofitel Dubai Downtown, is an idyllic oasis that blends urban sophistication with authentic luxury French service. It is the only french five-star hotel in the heart of Downtown Dubai linked to The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa metro station through an air-conditioned skywalk, with close proximity to Emaar square, Financial Centre, City Walk, Coca-Cola Arena and more. The hotel offers an exceptional setting for business, leisure and exploration within the New and Old Dubai. Blending Arabian hospitality with timeless French service, the hotel sends guests on a voyage into the Sofitel universe. Spanning 31 exquisite floors, 274 luxury rooms, 76 suites, including two-bedroom Downtown Suite, Presidential Suite and Royal Suite in addition to world-class leisure, conference and entertainment facilities including a stunning outdoor infinity pool, state-of-the-art gym and spa facilities, the hotel also features seven restaurant bars and lounges taking patrons on a culinary journey from the four corners of the globe. Welcome to the finer side of sophistication where you can step into a world of refined French heritage linked to local culture, elegance and seamless luxury.
About Sofitel
A pioneer of French luxury hospitality since 1964, Sofitel today embodies heartfelt and committed luxury with a French zest. A seamless blend of the richness of each local culture and the French joie de vivre, the brand delights travelers who appreciate delicacy and subtle refinement, offering them heartfelt and authentic service. At Sofitel, beauty is in the details: life's simple pleasures such as gastronomy and sleep are art forms for an incomparable experience.
Sofitel now boasts more than 120 hotels, all elegant and unique, in the world's most sought-after destinations. Among its most remarkable properties: Sofitel Paris Le Scribe, Sofitel London St James, Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk, Sofitel Mexico City Reforma and Sofitel Ambassador Seoul. The brand also offers a selection of heritage luxury hotels under the Sofitel Legend banner, renowned for their timeless elegance and fascinating history, such as Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan, Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena and Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi.
Sofitel is part of Accor, a world leading hospitality group counting over 5,500 properties throughout more than 110 countries, and a participating brand in ALL - Accor Live Limitless – a lifestyle loyalty program providing access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
22 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
You get a better lifestyle and safety in UAE, says Moldovan expat
Dubai-based CEO Elvira Jain has been in the UAE for 12 years and like most expatriates, says time flies in the Gulf. After a high-flying career as a fashion model, Moldovan-born Jain now runs a communications agency, Ellyse Management. During her career she has boasted collaborations with prestigious brands such as Gucci, Dior and Armani, and now, she's turning her hand to entrepreneurship in the Gulf's fashion capital. If you had to use one word to describe money what would it be? Opportunity. If you had to write a letter to money, what would you say? Due to money we can have the possibility of travelling and having better education and health. It's not the same everywhere but in Dubai you need resources to survive. How would you describe your relationship to money? I respect money. You need to use money smartly. I don't waste money and I calculate well. I do have an economics background, so I try not to overspend. Sometimes it is tricky, because I do like to spend, but I think money comes to people who also respect it and use it in the right direction. Also having a business and having created it by myself, I calculate everything and make projections and budget. How do you think this relationship was formed? When I was in school, aged 7-8, my parents used to pay me for every highest mark I used to get at school and I used to keep the money in a book, so I was really motivated to get better marks and more money. I was also one of the best in class. What good or bad lessons about money management did you learn from your mother? My mom sometimes tends to overspend and sometimes not spend much on unnecessary things so I try to also evaluate if it's worth to spend or not but sometimes is difficult. Who do you speak to about money matters and is it something you consider 'taboo'? I don't consider it a taboo. I can speak to my parents, my husband, and my kids . It cannot be a taboo since it is part of our daily life. Who has taught you the most about financial management? I learned a lot from my parents and from my husband. What do you think has been the most profound experience you've had so far in relation to money, good or bad, and what has it taught you since? When I used to travel as a model in different countries, they gave you a weekly allowance and you had to manage it. This taught me to spend only on what I really needed to. How do you think living in the UAE has changed your relationship with and perception of money? I can say that to live well you need money. The equation of money and income (in the UAE) is different compared to European countries. You get a better salary but then you also have to spend more on rent and monthly expenses. But of course, you get a different, better lifestyle and most of all, the UAE is the safest country to live in. If you could give your child or your younger self one piece of advice about money now what would that be and why? Spend only on what you really need because money comes to those who respect it. What do you value spending money on? It depends on what I need at that moment. I do like to pamper myself so there are also some spendings that we can't avoid as ladies. Do you long-term plan your finances, and if so, how? I like investing in real estate. What is your long-term goal or dream which is pegged to your finances? I wish to have a lot of properties in different parts of the world How much do you save each month? Since I'm a business owner, the income might vary, so savings are different. But I try to have a savings account and a different current account. How much do you plan to have by the time you are 65? I can't give a number because depreciation of money is real, so what might seem a lot now might be much less in the future. I try to think 100 times before investing so it's tough to say.
Zawya
an hour ago
- Zawya
Saudi trading in US stocks hits record $51.54bln in Q2 2025
RIYADH — Saudi investors' trading activity in U.S. equities surged to an all-time high in the second quarter of 2025, with transactions through licensed financial institutions reaching SR193.4 billion ($51.6 billion), according to data released by the Capital Market Authority (CMA). The figure represents a 230 percent increase from the same period in 2024, when trading totaled SR58.6 billion. On a quarterly basis, it rose 18 percent, or SR29 billion, compared to SR164.3 billion in the first quarter of this year. The CMA noted that while the report captures trading values by licensed Saudi brokers in global markets, it does not include data on the number of Saudi-owned portfolios abroad, nor trades executed directly through foreign intermediaries. The data showed that trading in U.S. markets accounted for 98.6 percent of the SR196.2 billion in total Saudi trading across international markets during the quarter. By comparison, Saudi trading in Gulf equities reached SR2.2 billion, an 88 percent year-on-year increase. Other markets saw limited activity, with Arab markets accounting for SR289 million, European SR157 million, Asian SR78 million, and other markets SR95 million. The CMA's historical data indicates a consistent upward trajectory in Saudi interest in U.S. equities since 2022, with a sharp acceleration beginning in 2024. © Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Zawya
an hour ago
- Zawya
Kuwait's merged Warba-Gulf Bank can grow for 10 years without capital hike, CEO says
The new Islamic banking entity resulting from the merger of Kuwait's Warba Bank and Gulf Bank will be able to grow for about ten years without raising capital, Warba's chief executive said. Shaheen al-Ghanem told Reuters that Gulf Bank's 7 billion dinars ($22.9 billion) in assets would grow significantly once brought under the Islamic banking framework. "This gives us a larger market share in Kuwait," he added. Warba Bank, which has assets of about 6 billion dinars, acquired a 32.75% stake in Gulf Bank in April for about $1.63 billion, and the two began initial steps the following month towards a merger. Kuwait's central bank on Monday gave Gulf Bank preliminary approval to convert into a sharia-compliant bank. Al-Ghanem said that the merger with Warba would speed up Gulf Bank's process of converting into an Islamic lender, as systems, procedures, a sharia board, products and staff were already in place. Warba, meanwhile, is set to gain from Gulf Bank's strong retail business and its more than 50 branches, taking the combined network to about 70 and creating what al-Ghanem said was an institution with the largest branch network in Kuwait. He said that Gulf Bank has yet to use its capacity to issue Tier 1 or Tier 2 instruments, a "hidden advantage" that the new entity must use to issue sukuk after the merger. Kuwait hosts ten local banks – five conventional, four Islamic and one specialised lender - and local branches of foreign banks. Al-Ghanem expects there to be more mergers among Kuwaiti banks, something he views as a healthy development. "Many bank owners are currently thinking about their next move: remain independent or merge," he said. In 2024, Kuwait Finance House, Kuwait's largest Islamic bank, merged with Bahrain's Ahli United Bank, which also owns a Kuwaiti subsidiary of the same name. (Reporting By Ahmed Hagagy, editing Federico Maccioni, Kirsten Donovan)
