Staff Reporter 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 in Pakistan.
The signatories of the agreement were Chairman Imarat Group of Companies, 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 Graana.com Group Directors Mr. Farhan Javed, Mr Sharjeel A. Ehmer, Mr Arslan Javed, and Mr Taimoor Abbasi.
“When Conde Nast Traveller magazine placed Pakistan at the top of their list of places to visit, little did they know that this was a part of the greater vision of the Imarat Group all these years. 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.”
