Franchise Agreement signed to Introduce Residence Inn by Marriott and Courtyard by Marriott in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Imarat Group of Companies and Marriott International signed a franchise agreement to launch service of the Residence Inn by Marriott and Courtyard by Marriott for the first time in Pakistan.

The signatories of the agreement were Chairman Imarat Group of Companies, CEO Graana.com Mr. Shafiq Akbar and Director of Lodging Development – Middle East & Pakistan for Marriott International Mr. Ziad Abi Raad.

Chairman Imarat Group of Companies, CEO Graana.com Mr. Shafiq Akbar hosted a grand dinner event, at Serena Islamabad to welcome prestigious guests including foreign dignitaries, government officials, along with other notable personalities.

The guests present on the event included Italian Ambassador to Pakistan, Ambassador Andreas Ferrarese, Chairman National Tourism Coordination Board Mr. Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, Member NA Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, President ICCI Mr. Sardar Yasir Ilyas, and DC Islamabad Mr. Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat.

The esteemed higher management of Imarat Group present at the event included President Advisory Board Lt. Gen (R) Haroon Aslam, along with Group Directors Mr. Farhan Javed, Mr Sharjeel A. Ehmer, Mr Arslan Javed, and Mr Taimoor Abbasi.

Expressing his delight on achieving this milestone, Mr. Shafiq said “An amalgam of diverse cultures, the beauty of Pakistan is translated through the remains of ancient civilizations, religious sites, monuments still alive singing tales of the battles fought, serene valleys with snow-capped peaks and frozen lakes, beautiful shores, and lush green forests. Undoubtedly, the tourism industry has a lot to offer. Today, we are proud to announce the result of years of hard work – a partnership with Marriott International to bring their 3 & 4-star brands – Courtyard and Residence Inn – to Pakistan! This will increase the number of modestly priced hospitality options in the country, and bring a much needed quantum leap to the hotel and tourism industries in Pakistan. This truly is the decade of #Pakistan2030!”

Celebrating this partnership, Ziad Abi Raad, Director of Lodging Development – Middle East & Pakistan for Marriott International commented, “We are excited to work with the Imarat Group to debut Residence Inn by Marriott and Courtyard by Marriott brands in Pakistan. We continue to see opportunities to grow our brand portfolio in Pakistan, where there continues to be a demand for quality hotel accommodation to support the growth of the country’s tourism sector.”

“Renowned hotels coming to Pakistan shows the promising outlook of Pakistan’s flourishing tourism industry and a positive indicator of our economy as a whole. It has taken time for us to bring ease in doing business as is the vision of PM Imran Khan, we will further simplify all processes for investors to contribute to nation-building. Adding to that, I encourage our construction sector to move towards more sustainable and eco-friendly development. It pleases me to announce that there are many more hotels coming up, soon we will open bids for 22 new hotels just from PTDC and look forward to great participation from the private sector,” said Mr. Zulfi Bukhari while commenting on this achievement.

The evening concluded with Pakistan’s pop sensation Aima Baig.

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