FHS World toasts excellence, innovation and achievement with FHS Awards

Dubai - FHS World 2025 honoured leading luminaries shaping the future of the Middle East’s hospitality and tourism sector with four FHS Awards to celebrate the best of the best in the industry.

The 2025 FHS Award winners are:

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Abdullah Ahmed Al Moosa, Founder and Chairman, A.A. Al Moosa Enterprises (ARENCO Group)
• Impact Leader Award: Laura Eggleton, General Manager, Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown
• Future Leader Award: Veronica Asthana, Managing Director, miniMAX Hospitality
• Leadership Award: Fadi Alaseri, Senior Director, Education and Capability Building, Red Sea Global

FHS Awards candidates are carefully chosen after several rounds of assessment by an elite jury, comprising senior leaders and experts from the hospitality sector.

FHS Awards celebrate the exceptional and the innovative, spotlighting the luminaries shaping our industry's tomorrow. Winners are true visionaries who inspire excellence and innovation in global hospitality. Honouring achievement, leadership and inspiration, the awards are an annual tradition of excellence, and a much-anticipated feature of FHS World. As we mark the 20^th anniversary of the summit, we are delighted to celebrate the best of the best in hospitality. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench, organiser of FHS World

Lifetime Achievement Award: Abdullah Ahmed Al Moosa, Founder and Chairman, A.A. Al Moosa Enterprises (ARENCO Group), presented by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group

Founded in 1971 as Dubai’s first national architectural design, engineering and consultancy business, ARENCO has grown to become a prominent, service-focused, diversified organisation. Operating in the UAE, KSA, India and Oman, the group covers a wide spectrum of sectors including architectural design, real estate, hospitality, car rentals, interior design, logistics and trading. Its hospitality division comprises Golden Sands Hotels LLC, which has over 6,000 keys across 22 hotels and hotel apartments in the UAE and Oman, and brand partners including Hilton, Marriott, TAJ, Sheraton, Movenpick, Crowne Plaza, Four Points Sheraton, Hilton Garden Inn, Novotel and Ibis. Its iconic properties include Hilton The Palm Jumeirah, Marriott Resort The Palm Jumeirah, Taj Exotica Resort The Palm Jumeirah, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Crowne Plaza Muscat and Hilton Salalah. The group also owns and manages Golden Sands-branded hotels in Dubai and Sharjah.

Impact Leader Award: Laura Eggleton, General Manager, Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown

The FHS Impact Leader Award by FHSWomenPower is a first-of-its-kind initiative to recognising outstanding female leaders who are shaping the future of hospitality. The award celebrates women who demonstrate exceptional leadership, career growth, and industry impact, highlighting those who break barriers, lead initiatives, mentor others, and drive meaningful change.

The award was judged by Maya Ziadeh, Chief Development Officer, Premium Midscale & Economy at Accor - Middle East, Africa & Turkey Accor.

Future Leader Award: Veronica Asthana, Managing Director, miniMAX Hospitality

Held in partnership with EHL Hospitality Business School, the FHS Future Leader Award recognises young individuals who create a significant impact on the global hospitality industry or at their company at a young age and in turn become an inspiration to their peers and industry colleagues. The accolade is dedicated to individuals aged 35 years or younger, who exemplify the next generation of hospitality leaders on a global scale.

The judging panel comprised Dr. Achim Schmitt, Dean, EHL Hospitality Business School; Stephane Haddad, Corporate Finance and Higher Education, EHL and Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & CEO, The Bench.

Leadership Award: Fadi Alaseri, Senior Director, Education and Capability Building, Red Sea Global

FHS World has partnered with the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) for the Leadership Award, which honours exceptional leaders who are shaping the global hospitality industry through their vision, achievements, and lasting impact. The accolade celebrates industry pioneers whose careers reflect excellence, innovation, and a commitment to inspiring future leaders.

On the judging panel were Judith Cartwright, Founder and Managing Director, Black Coral Consulting; Ben Baseley Walker, Founder and Managing Partner, Andart Global; David Keen, Founder and CEO at QUO; Andrea Belfanti, CEO, ISHC and Jonathan Worsley, Chairman and CEO, The Bench.