CEO Insights Magazine

Hospitality comes naturally to women - especially to Asians who have hospitality deep-rooted within their heritage & culture. Despite that supremacy, we can hardly find women in leadership roles in the industry – pointing to the glaring bias. As an elixir to the unfair stats, a few bold and beautiful ladies are grabbing leadership thrones in the hospitality sector by breaking age-old stereotypes. Female leaders are taking the industry by a wave with their ability to battle against every challenge and work to make their desired goals come true.

While speaking about such successful women, mentioning Mariam Al Araimi, an HR Professional, Talent Management Anchor, and currently the Director and an Executive Committee member (Quality Management and Learning & Development) at DUSITD2 Naseem Resort Jabal Akhdar is indeed a pleasure. CEO Insights Asia engages in an exclusive conversation with this dynamic business leader to learn more about her journey, next-gen ideas, and ground-breaking strategies.

Give a brief account of your professional journey. What are the important milestones that have been the turning points in your career so far?

The 12+ years of my professional journey can be summarized in the word ‘Meraki’, which means doing something with passion, love, and from the heart. I have always had a passion for personal growth and rising others to grow along with me. My career didn’t begin in Hospitality, but it was in 2016 that I was exposed to the industry with one of the biggest global hospitality Groups. I joined the company as a Coordinator and in a short span, I played different roles such as manager, assistant director, and then a director of Human Resources as well as Learning & Development. And, then moved to several other big brands in the sector which shaped me as a leader as  well as a business partner.

Today I am proud to be an HR professional & Talent Management specialist while unleashing the potential of those around me. What I consider a milestone in growth. Scaling to the next level has been the stepping stone that has brought me to this place today. Between 2011 and 2023, in almost 12 years in the different industries I worked with, the growth I have experienced and the impact that I could make on people working  with and around me are milestones I cherish the most.

Describe your leadership approach & guiding philosophy.

I strongly adhere to leadership that empowers people. I believe that everyone is a hidden gem, who just needs someone to bring them out and shape them. Even in my case, I never knew my skills and potential, until given an opportunity. Everyone has a talent and it is the leader’s responsibility to shape the right way for them to become the next leader. Our organization also pays keen focus on shaping the local community (the young Omanis).

Unleashing true potential within oneself is really a big goal of mine. Most importantly, empower people to believe in themselves and stay confident when the world around them is vulnerable and dynamic. The youth of today are facing confidence issues and leaders in HR should help them.

What is your mantra for success? And the formula that helps you to deal with challenges.

Thanks to god for all the success because I think that I've been really lucky in my professional career. Almost seven promotions in a 12-year career, this has not been easy. The key enabler of my success is my interest in personal development. I'm not a person who waits for good things to happen; I work towards it. I continuously learn, unlearn, and relearn. Despite being person who welcomes challenges, strength to me comes from my belief in God as well as the faith that my Family, Friends, and loved ones have in me! To deal with the challenges and achieve our goals, we should prioritize our work, take one step at a time, and focus with complete dedication. While working as a team with the same vision and goals, any challenges can be tackled easily.

Elaborate on your role at DUSITD2 and what are the impacts delivered through your work.

I spearhead all the human resources development; right from performance review to monitoring the success rate in terms of services, quality, and more. We've been up for the past one and a half years officially and our high reviews speak for themselves. Our hospitality is a reflection of the training we have conducted for our people. I am also a certified coach, HR Consultant, and counsellor, which has helped me to make a high impact on our people’s growth and; in turn the business's growth. In my leisure, I freelance to help many people with their personal growth.

Mariam Al Araimi,  Director,Strategy & Business Development,  DUSITD2 Naseem Resort

Mariam envisions transforming the HR space in Oman and empowering the youth of the nation. She thrives to learn and engage with different people to acquire different dimensional experiences in Human resources & Management.

Interests: Movies, Music, and Sports

Favourite Book: Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson

Favourite Travel Destination: Turkey