FHS World delivers its most dynamic agenda to date

Dubai, UAE, 16 October 2025. Future Hospitality Summit – FHS World has unveiled its line-up of over 200 high-level speakers and an action-packed agenda for its biggest summit to date, which will see more than 1,600 hospitality and tourism leaders descend on Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah, 27-29 October.

Celebrating its landmark 20th anniversary in the United Arab Emirates, the summit upholds its position as the region’s leading hospitality and tourism investment event. Under the theme ‘Where Vision Leads, Investment Follows’, the FHS World agenda presents three days of dynamic debate, industry insights and high-impact sessions, with key tracks such as Global Outlook, Investment & Real Estate, Lifestyle & Wellness, NextGen, Innovation & Technology, F&B Experience, Branded Residences Forum, Networking, and Signings & Announcements.

65 top-tier investors, managing $1.89 trillion in assets, have already confirmed their attendance including Mubadala, PIF, The Oberoi Group and Dubai Holding. Delegates will have access to unrivalled networking and deal-making opportunities, enabling direct engagement with real estate asset managers, global investment houses, family offices, and sovereign funds, all actively searching for the next wave of hospitality ventures.

With more than 130 sessions, covering 13 conference tracks across three stages, these are some of the bold conversations headlining the programme:

• Keynote address on ‘The UAE’s Blueprint for Tourism, Innovation, and Economic Resilience’ by His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, UAE
• Then and Now: Two Decades of Hospitality Investment Evolution; Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & CEO, The Bench; Gerald Lawless, Ambassador, World Travel & Tourism Council; Naser Mohamed Ali Naser Alnuwais, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rotana
• “Art of Creation” Redefining Hospitality; Alan Faena, Founder and President, Faena Group; Louis Abi Abboud, Regional Head – Lifestyle Collective MEAIT, Ennismore
• The New Silk Road of Hospitality: Cross-Border Strategies in Global Investment moderated by Stephen Sackur, Former Presenter HARDtalk in conversation with Pansy Ho, Group Executive Chairman & Managing Director, Shun Tak Holdings Limited
• Hospitality 2050: The Long View from the Top; Stephen Sackur, Former Presenter, HARDTalk; Thomas B. Meier, CEO, Jumeirah; Philip Barnes, CEO, Rotana; Haitham Mattar, Managing Director MEA & South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Special Advisor to Secretary General, UNWTO
• Building Tomorrow: The Geographies and Segments Defining Growth moderated by Nicolas Mayer, Global Tourism and Hospitality Leader, PwC with panellists Serena Lim, Chief Growth Officer, Ascott; Suma Venkatesh, Executive Vice President – Real Estate & Development, The Indian Hotels Company Limited; Alex Lee, Chief Growth Officer, Jumeirah, and Felicity Black-Roberts, Senior Vice President, EAME, Hyatt
• From Iconic Design to Strategic Returns: Inside the Mind of a Global Real Estate Visionary; Stephen Sackur, Former Presenter, HARDTalk; Nick Candy, CEO, Candy Capital; Marc Socker, CEO, Maybourne
• A Global Presidents Forum: The Bulls & Bears of Global Capital Markets; Theodor Kubak,Co-Founder, President Emeritus & Director of the Supervisory Board, HAMA Europe, Managing Partner, Arbireo Hospitality Invest; Rene Beil, Managing Director, BEAUFORT Chairman, MAARAH HOLDINGS & HAMA President Middle East; Rastko Djordjevic, Managing Director – Global Lead Asset Management, JLL President, HAMA Europe; Ken Iikeo, Founder & CEO, Flat Collaboration President HAMA Japan; Sashi Rajan, Executive VP – Advisory & Asset Management, Hotels & Hospitality, JLL President, HAMA APAC; Chad Sorensen, Managing Director & CEO, CHMWARRICK, HAMA President USA; Toa Zhou Managing Director, Head of Greater China, Hotels & Hospitality, JLL CHINA, HAMA President China.
• HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, will be presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to Abdullah Ahmed Al Moosa, Founder & Chairman, A. A. Al Moosa Enterprises | ARENCO Group

What’s new at the 2025 summit?

The UAE Africa Tourism Investment Summit, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will serve as a strategic platform for exchanging insights and expertise between the UAE and African nations, supporting sustainable development efforts through the establishment of projects and partnerships that serve mutual interests. Aligning with the objectives of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision, the by-invitation-only summit will gather 350+ senior officials, investors, and tourism leaders from 53 African nations to drive partnerships and boost investment in hospitality, tourism, and related sectors.

PitchPoint is a new business-boosting platform dedicated to hospitality brands and tech start-ups. Bringing together start-ups and investors seeking to scale innovation in the hospitality and tourism sectors, PitchPoint offers a focused, deal-driven format to create meaningful business opportunities and match new businesses with the right set of investors, reinforcing FHS World’s commitment to driving innovation and entrepreneurship.

The inaugural World Branded Residences Awards will recognise excellence and outstanding achievement among brokerages and individual brokers operating in the global branded residences market. Winners of the three categories Top Branded Residence Brokerage, World’s Top Branded Residence Broker and Largest Single Transaction Award will be announced on 29 October on the main stage during Branded Residences Forum at FHS World.

The Impact Leader Award by FHSWomenPower recognises women leaders in hospitality who demonstrate exceptional leadership, career growth, and industry impact. It highlights those who have broken barriers, led initiatives, mentored others, and driven meaningful change within their organisations and the wider hospitality sector.

Back by popular demand is the Branded Residences Forum, a dedicated, full-day conference on 29 October in partnership with Accor One Living as Founding Sponsor, Global Branded Residences as Strategic Partner, Marriott International as Sponsor, and BRESI as Media Partner. Bringing together some of the foremost voices in branded residences, the forum will feature workshops and conference sessions exploring the sector’s rapid growth in the Middle East and across the world.

Also returning to the 2025 summit are the Country Pavilions, including Albania, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Italy, and the Philippines. The Country Pavilions will be showcasing upcoming hospitality projects unique to each country and presenting a plethora of investment opportunities in ventures with high ROI.

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of FHS World organiser, The Bench, said: “FHS World has always been about sparking bold ideas and forging meaningful partnerships. For twenty years, FHS World has been the region’s stage for ambition. This year, more than ever, we’re not just hosting a summit, we’re building momentum for an industry that thrives on innovation, resilience and bold investment decisions. What excites me most about this year is not just the scale of the programme, but the energy it brings. It’s where conversations turn into collaborations, where ideas become investments, and where the future of our industry is written in real time.”