News Release

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates and WATFORD, England – 25 May 2011: Hilton Worldwide announces the appointment of Haitham Mattar as regional vice president of sales for Middle East & Africa, Eastern Europe, Turkey & Russia. 

In this newly created role, and based out of Dubai, Mattar will lead the company’s sales teams across the region and spearhead the sales strategy for more than 80 hotels.

“Haitham has the right regional experience and an extensive understanding of the hospitality industry,” said Michael Prager, senior vice president, sales, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Hilton Worldwide. “In this role Haitham will lead the sales teams to ensure we’re focused on source markets, growing revenue and developing and implementing regional growth strategies that are aligned with the company’s commercial objectives.” 

Mattar added, “My goal is to strengthen the presence of Hilton Worldwide’s brands by developing talent and ensuring strategic alignment in key areas of the business. There are a number of great opportunities and I am looking forward to supporting hotels in realising their growth potential”. 

Mattar, a U.S. citizen, brings with him 23 years of regional and international experience, having worked in the United States, Lebanon and the U.A.E. He joins Hilton Worldwide from IHG, where he worked for more than a decade where he held a number of roles including area general manager and commercial director for Lebanon and the Near East countries.

Mattar holds a post graduate degree in marketing from the University of Liverpool, U.K.

About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 92 years, Hilton Worldwide has been offering business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,700 hotels and 610,000 rooms in 82 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. 

Hilton Worldwide currently operates 49 hotels and one convention centre in the Middle East & Africa, totalling to more than 15,000 rooms across 15 countries. There are 17 hotels in Egypt, one hotel and one convention centre in Jordan, ten hotels in the UAE, six in Saudi Arabia and one each in Oman and Kuwait, plus another 13 hotels in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Hilton Worldwide has a signed development pipeline of an additional 37 properties across Middle East & Africa in the U.A.E, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda, Namibia, Nigeria and Cape Verde.

For more information about the company, please visit www.hiltonworldwide.com and www.hiltondevelopment.com
The Hilton Reservations and Customer Care telephone numbers in the Middle East are as follows:

CONTACTS:
Emma Corcoran
Hilton Worldwide, Middle East & Africa
+971 (0) 4 365 4886
emma.corcoran@hilton.com

Dan Corfield
Hilton Worldwide, Europe
+44 (0) 20 7856 8471
dan.corfield@hilton.com