CEO Interview: Mohamed Awadalla – TIME Hotels Dubai,UAE
As a midscale hospitality group operating across multiple markets, how does TIME Hotels view the role of AI and technology?
Mohamed Awadalla, CEO of TIME Hotels, says:
“At TIME Hotels, we view AI as a tool to support stronger decision-making, improve consistency, and deepen guest engagement—not as a replacement for human service. Collectively, these technologies act as enablers, enhancing operational performance, sharpening commercial strategy, and ensuring the guest experience remains intuitive, personalised, and aligned with the values that define TIME Hotels. As we move into 2026, AI and data analytics will play an increasingly important role in helping us grow smarter and operate more efficiently across multiple markets.”
Can you share how TIME Hotels has implemented these technologies?
“We continue to leverage technology as a core part of our operating model, integrating property management systems, CRM, loyalty platforms, reservations, and guest-facing touchpoints. Partnerships with Shiji Group and Amadeus have accelerated our growth while keeping our human-first focus intact.”
“Through Shiji, we introduced a unified cloud-based property management system, which has strengthened operational control and improved service accuracy across our hotels. This platform has enabled faster check-in and check-out processes, centralised guest profiles for more personalised service, and streamlined back-office functions to reduce operational complexity. With Amadeus GMS as our CRM and loyalty solution, we’ve enhanced guest lifecycle management, providing automated, data-driven engagement across all touchpoints. Our upgraded booking engine and mobile-optimised website now deliver a seamless direct booking experience.”
How does this technology integration influence strategic decision-making?
“By strengthening data integrity and improving forecasting, analytics, and reporting, we have enhanced decision-making at both the property and group levels. This integration underpins our long-term strategy to build scalable, standardised, and guest-centric operations, ensuring we can grow across multiple markets without compromising quality, consistency, or the personal nature of the experience we deliver.”
What’s next for TIME Hotels?
“TIME Hotels currently operates 17 hotels across the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, with over 3,000 keys, and we have new properties planned across Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Morocco, and the Indian Ocean. Our expansion is supported by our growing portfolio of brands, including VIVI by TIME—a bold lifestyle brand; HALO by TIME—a premium upscale offering; and Rotella, our luxury concept offering exclusive, culturally enriched hospitality. We are also repositioning our residential offerings across three tiers—TIME Residences Classic, Executive, and Premium—to cater to both long- and short-stay guests.”
“Through a combination of technology, innovation, and a human-first philosophy, TIME Hotels continues to deliver memorable, personalised experiences while driving growth and operational excellence across all our markets.
