THE FIVE TRIBE

Anand, a co-founding member of FIVE, is a global authority on building, sustaining and recognising high-trust, high-performing workplace cultures. His aim for FIVE was to put the focus on people – the FIVE Tribe – and how best to support and encourage a thriving culture. Boasting 1500 members representing 82+ nationalities, the FIVE Tribe is a collection of vibrant, multi-cultural and multi-faceted colleagues. Anand oversees the forward-thinking Vibe at FIVE culture that is so important to our success.

AN AWARD-WINNING CULTURE

FIVE has achieved pole position in the Middle East by Great Places To Work – ranking ahead of gargantuan hospitality entities such as Hilton, Jumeirah and Address.

FIVE was recognised as the Best Hotel Group, a Top 10 Workplace for Women and ranked No 7 for Millennials across all categories in the Middle East by Great Places To Work in 2021.

FORWARD-THINKING FINANCE

Using his fiscal insights and industry knowledge, Anand was a key member of the acquisition team of FIVE LUXE.

A GREEN-FIRST CFO AND COO

Applying his engineering expertise with a Cornell MBA, guided by a sustainable spirit, Jaydeep Anand drives the implementation of cutting-edge technology and streamlined operational efficiency, all rooted in sophisticated financial strategy.

Under Jaydeep Anand’s leadership, FIVE achieved the world’s highest ESG rating, receiving an ‘A’ grade across all sectors from global rating agency, ISS, in just five years. Prior to this, the highest rating in the leisure sector was ‘B,’ with only one hotel worldwide meeting the mark.

Anand also led FIVE to secure the highest LEED Platinum score in the world for 5 Star Hotels (FIVE LUXE) in line with a 100% LEED Platinum hotel portfolio in Dubai and Zurich. Under his command, FIVE is the first and only hotel group to earn UL’s 3 Star SPIRE Smart Building Ratings and his hotels maintain the Dubai Land Department’s highest Green Building Rating, in addition to 6 ISOs (90001, 14001, 22000, 27001, 45001, 50001). Anand’s commitment to renewable energy led to a historic agreement with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and the International Renewable Energy Certification Foundation (I-REC) to achieve 100% solar power in FIVE’s Dubai hotels.

Highlighting FIVE’s dedication to sustainable finance and consistent ESG leadership, the company debuted a $350 million Green Bond on Nasdaq Dubai in October 2023, marking its inaugural appearance on the esteemed international financial exchange in the region.

As he strives to reduce carbon footprint, engage community, and steward the environment, Anand’s love for learning and a good challenge continue to set new precedents and awaken future possibilities within sustainable real estate development and luxury hospitality.

A trailblazer of technology and sustainability within real estate and hospitality, FIVE was also recognized as one of the Most Innovative Companies of The Year in 2022 (the only Hospitality Group included in the Annual List) by Fast Company Middle East.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Jaydeep’s influential role is acknowledged in Hotelier Middle East’s Executive Power List 2024, 2023 and 2022, where he stands among 30 leaders shaping the hospitality landscape in the Middle East.

Bringing more than two decades of expertise, Nabil Akiki spearheads the design, development, and construction management of FIVE’s projects in his role of CEO at FIVE Development. He is the visionary behind the exceptional architecture of both FIVE Real Estate Development and FIVE Holdings.

His journey with FIVE from an architectural perspective began in 2012 ideating on Cappadocia, Villa Pera and Villa Myra; three luxury residential G+4 developments with over 220 luxury residential Apartments in Dubai’s Jumeirah Village Circle community. Despite a very challenging DCR and tight regulations for that zone, the spaces have been designed to be refreshingly modern, new and boast organic architecture, integrating lifestyle swimming pools and outdoor furnished terraces to the indoor luxury space of an apartment.

Nabil Akiki says, “For me, this was the start-up and the seed of an evolving architectural concept that opened up ours and our clients’ awareness of the added value offered by the outdoor space. The swimming pool and furnished terrace add to the indoor luxury space of an apartment.”

A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Akiki has delivered a range of world-class projects including hospitals, commercial, residential and luxury hotels and resorts in the GCC, North Africa, Middle East, and Europe, Akiki has a first-class degree from INBA in Beirut. He received his Master’s in Architecture from the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris on a special scholarship and graduated as Majeur De Promotion.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Together with his team at FIVE, he has won numerous regional and international ‘Acclaimed Architecture and Design Awards, such as MIPIM Future Project Awards 2016: Tall Building – FIVE Jumeirah Village and CTBUH Awards 2021: Best Tall Building – FIVE Jumeirah Village

From 2019 to 2023, total revenue experienced a substantial growth of approximately 363 percent, increasing from US$123 million to US$569 million*. With FIVE’s emphasis on digital innovation, which accounts for 50% of bookings through its proprietary website and reservations teams, FIVE Jumeirah Village emerges as the most reviewed hotel on Booking.com, boasting over 39,700 reviews and an impressive 9.1/10 rating. Similarly, FIVE Palm Jumeirah boasts a stellar rating of 9.2/10 and FIVE LUXE has 9.3/10 on Booking.com.

*Pro forma figures include the effect of acquisition of Universo Pacha S.A as if the business combination had been completed at the beginning of the year 2023.

FIVE boasts a diverse array of accolades – FIVE Palm Jumeirah is Condé Nast Traveller ME’s Favourite Beach Hotel and FIVE Zurich boasts an 8.6/10 in the Swiss Location Awards. Cinque has been celebrated by The Michelin Dubai Guide and Gault & Millau, Goose Island Tap House has been feted by What’s On Dubai and Time Out Dubai, while the Penthouse is DJ Mag’s #1 Nightclub in the Middle East and ReFIVE Spa has been widely celebrated. While Forbes, CEO ME and Hotelier have commended FIVE’s Leadership endeavours.

From Vogue, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, Esquire, GQ, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Grazia, Cosmopolitan and Nylon to Bloomberg, Forbes, Robb Report, Business Insider, Business Traveller, The National, Gulf News and Gulf Business, FIVE continues to dominate the spotlight — consistently grabbing headlines globally. Condé Nast Traveller ME extolled FIVE Palm Jumeirah’s entertainment ecosystem, Cinque stood out with Harper’s Bazaar Arabia and Cosmopolitan ME, while Rolling Stone India was impressed by FIVE’s music-driven experientials.

ReFIVE Spa across all FIVE destinations have been applauded by Vogue Arabia, Emirates Woman and Cosmopolitan ME.

BUILDING A PROFITABLE ‘VIBE AT FIVE’

Batra lays emphasis on creating bespoke ‘Vibe at FIVE’ experiences for FIVE’s guests – ones that compete successfully against stand-alone hotels, venues and  nightlife destinations; all under one roof.

DIGITAL FIRST CX

The strength of the brand has directly resulted in lower costs and higher profitability margins, ultimately leading to higher direct brand revenues – this is proven by direct bookings growing from 25% in 2019 to approximately 50% in 2023.

SOCIAL MEDIA PHENOMENON

A digital pioneer, in 2023 alone, Batra’s creative marketing prowess and disruptive leadership has created a highly engaged, active online social media community of over 1.6 million active followers across social media profiles garnering nearly 630 million views for FIVE’s hashtags on Tik Tok in 2023.

F&B POWERHOUSE

He is the creative genius behind hugely successful homegrown concepts such as Dubai’s iconic rooftop destination The Penthouse; FIVE’s signature Italian restaurant, Cinque  and MSG-free, gourmet Chinese, Maiden Shanghai at FIVE Palm Jumeirah; immersive street-food dining experience, Soul St.; homemade Italian at Trattoria by Cinque, Chicago’s award-winning brewery Goose Island Tap House and Jumeirah Village Circle’s first ever nightclub, The Mansion at FIVE Jumeirah Village, as well as expanding homegrown concepts Cinque Studio, Soul St., and The Penthouse to FIVE Zurich.

In developing these homegrown F&B concepts, his goal was to energize and serve Dubai’s diverse diaspora with a range of palates, demonstrating that unique offerings can achieve remarkable success among both residents and visitors.

FIVE MUSIC INNOVATOR

Boasting over 30 weekly, high-energy entertainment events across 30 venues in Dubai and Zurich, Aloki pioneered the creation of a dynamic record label, FIVE Music in a joint venture with global giant – The Warner Group and state-of-the-art FIVE Music Studio, to bring the inimitable ‘Sound of FIVE’ to a global music-loving community through creative artist collaborations, exclusive music releases, signature events like Anjunadeep and Bohemia at Beach by FIVE, SKYLINE at The Penthouse, Playa Pacha Icons at FIVE LUXE; and more.

FLY HIGH, FLY FIVE.

An extension of the famous on-ground ‘Vibe at FIVE’, Fly FIVE perfectly embodies FIVE’s ethos of immersive entertainment and flawless luxury service with this one-of-a-kind private jet experience, featuring 16 seats, a dining area, a luxurious suite and shower, in-flight entertainment, fully serviced, curated menu of FIVE’s most-loved culinary highlights.

GOING GLOBAL

In October 2023, FIVE acquired legendary Spanish nightlife brand, The Pacha Group in a landmark deal with Aloki taking on the mantle of CEO, The Pacha Group. With this acquisition, that includes a range of assets from the Pacha Nightclub, Destino Pacha Hotel, El Hotel Pacha, Toy Room Clubs, The Pacha Collection and WooMoon Storytellers, FIVE’s vision and commitment to fuse world-class hospitality with sensational, cutting-edge entertainment experiences continues to expand worldwide.

LINKEDIN THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

With a steadily growing, engaged, loyal community of over 40,000 followers on LinkedIn, Batra is honest and open about his inspiring journey building a young, trailblazing hospitality brand into a hugely successful international sensation.

With his content reaching a staggering 2.86M LinkedIn users in 2023, his authentic, introspective, and hard-hitting insights have successfully positioned him as an industry expert who is also relatable, friendly, and always open to fresh perspectives – a persona that mirrors his charismatic real-life presence.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Aloki is recognised as one of the Top 100 CEOs in the Middle East by Forbes Middle East in 2023 and 2022, CEO of the Year – Hospitality 2023 by CEO Middle East, ranks #44 in Arabian Business Dubai 100 List for 2024 and sits amongst 50 Powerful Indians in the Middle East in the Arabian Business ‘Indian Aces’ Power List 2023 and 2024. His relentless efforts to integrate sustainability and technology into the business enabled FIVE to be recognised as one of the Most Innovative Companies of The Year in 2022 (the only Hospitality Group included in the Annual List) by Fast Company Middle East.

IN THE PRESS

Featured in reputed press tiles from Forbes Middle East, Billboard, Numero, CEO Middle East to Entrepreneur Middle East, Arabian Business, Hotelier Middle East and more.

Batra completed his education at Cathedral and John Connon School before earning a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business from Sydenham College, Mumbai. Originally from Mumbai, India, Batra now resides in Dubai, UAE with his wife and three children.

ZAYA GROUP

Nadia Zaal’s role was pivotal in the development of Zaya Nurai Island. Her undying passion for sustainability is evidently reflected in Zaya’s inaugural project in Abu Dhabi. The island had the region’s first floating solar plant in the sea, generating 30 percent of the power for the island. Zaal’s mission to create sustainability in the luxury real estate world was further extended through the introduction of public solar lighting throughout the island as well as transportation solely via use of electric buggies. Moreover, the novel and visionary ‘green carpet’ concept also ensures that Nurai is designed to appear as a ‘virgin’ sland with minimal concrete views across the panorama of the landscape.

AL BARARI

Nadia Zaal was the driving force behind the Al Barari project, a first mixed-use development to target the premium segment of the real estate market while still focusing on the concepts of sustainability and eco-conservation. With Al Barari, Zaal created the lowest-density lush microclimate community in the region which was conceptualised keeping greening practices in mind and encouraging strong social interactions with ample community space, specially for children. Al Barari also recycles all its grey water and green waste to use for composting.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

A ‘hands-on’ entrepreneur and developer, Nadia is the recipient of the Women in Leadership Achievement in Dubai and The Arab Woman Award for Business. Her extensive experience in project development, structuring and funding has won her monikers such as Most Influential Women in the Middle East by Arabian Business, One of the Top 50 Travel and Tourism Leaders and one of the Forbes Middle East’s  Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the Middle East.

Guided by Kabir’s ‘Sustainable Indulgence’ ethos, FIVE achieved industry-leading EBITDA margins with robust governance, prioritizing environmental impact mitigation and social well-being. In 2023, FIVE’s proforma* EBITDA margin reached 39%, and earned an ‘A’ rating for ESG by ISS, showcasing the brand’s dedication to sustainability. The year 2023 also witnessed remarkable financial performance, with proforma* revenue of US$ 569 million and proforma* EBITDA of US$ 221 million.

FIVE Palm Jumeirah and FIVE Jumeirah Village stood out with a consistent average occupancy rate of 92% in 2023. From 2019 to 2023, total revenue experienced a substantial growth of approximately 363 percent, increasing from US$123 million to US$569 million*. With FIVE’s emphasis on digital innovation, which accounts for 50% of bookings through its proprietary website and reservations teams, FIVE Jumeirah Village emerges as the most reviewed hotel on Booking.com, boasting over 39,300 reviews and an impressive 9.1/10 rating. Similarly, FIVE Palm Jumeirah achieves a stellar rating of 9.2/10 on Booking.com.

*Pro forma figures include the effect of acquisition of Universo Pacha S.A as if the business combination had been completed at the beginning of the year 2023.

PEOPLE-FIRST GROWTH

Mulchandani has built a people-first culture right across FIVE Holdings’ hotels and resorts. A culture, as he puts it, “Based on hiring people who love people. Where we constantly ask the question, ‘What do we, as consumers, want to feel’. Because once you are providing value, there is money to be made. Guests will keep coming back.”

Acknowledged as a Great Place to Work, FIVE Hotels and Resorts secured 3rd place in UAE’s Workplace for Women in 2021, 6th position among the Best Workplaces in the UAE and the Middle East in 2022 and also claimed the 19th spot among the Best Workplaces for Millennials in GCC. The company’s distinction as a large-sized organization is evident, ranking 6th for the Happiest Employees in the region and 24th among the best large-sized companies in Asia in 2022.

In 2024, FIVE Hotels and Resorts reaffirmed its stellar reputation in the Great Place to Work Middle East’s Best Workplaces ‘Large Category’ in the UAE, climbing to the 8th spot from its previous 10th ranking in 2023. FIVE’s excellence is also recognized among the top 50 Best Workplaces in Asia™ 2023 in the Large Organizations categories.

In 2024, FIVE also made it to the prestigious Fast Company Best Workplaces for Women in the Middle East list, distinguishing itself as the only hospitality group.

A GLOBAL VISION

Mulchandani has taken his homegrown success to Europe, with the opening of FIVE Zurich in 2022. This destination hotel in the Swiss city is driven by the same qualities that Kabir worked to instill in the group’s Dubai properties: an obsession with luxury customer service, immersive entertainment and world-class global cuisine in a spectacular setting. Kabir’s ambition is to develop FIVE’s presence in continental Europe, the UK, and beyond.

In October 2023, FIVE acquired legendary Spanish nightlife brand, The Pacha Group in a landmark deal, led by Kabir’s visionary leadership. With this acquisition, that includes a range of assets from the Pacha Nightclub, Destino Pacha Hotel, El Hotel Pacha, Toy Room Club, and WooMoon Storytellers, FIVE’s vision and commitment to fuse world-class hospitality with sensational, cutting-edge entertainment experiences continues to expand worldwide.

SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP

With FIVE’s Sustainable Indulgence ethos of guilt-free luxury lifestyle and immersive entertainment experiences, Mulchandani pioneers a no compromise model of sustainable hospitality. Achieving 100% solar power for his Dubai hotels, 100% LEED Platinum certified hotels in Dubai and Zurich, and earning the world’s only and highest ‘A’ ESG Rating through ISS, Mulchandani proves his conviction in sustainability runs in equal force with the rest of FIVE’s Brand success. Mulchandani has developed a Net Zero ‘Build Tech’ Luxury Building Design Concept that stands ready for development to prove the future of Sustainable Indulgence.

Underscoring FIVE’s steadfast commitment to sustainable finance and its consistent leadership in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices, FIVE debuted its $350 million Green Bond on Nasdaq Dubai in October 2023, marking its first appearance on the region’s esteemed international financial exchange.

EFFECTIVE ALTRUISM

Recognized as Philanthropist of the Year by CEO Middle East, Kabir’s dedication to making a difference is at the heart of his philanthropic commitments.

Over $1.8 million has been contributed to date across FIVE’s diverse portfolio of local and global partnerships, including New Face Medical Trust and Room to Read. Over $200,000 has been provided to support global literacy and girls’ empowerment foundation, Room to Read India’s “Literacy and Gender Equality in Education” program, directly impacting 1500 girls. Furthermore, Mulchandani’s philanthropic efforts have also facilitated over 800 life-saving heart and face operations for children in India till date.

The FIVE Cares program, personally championed by Kabir, stands as a beacon of support for the FIVE Tribe members. Offering critical financial aid to employees, their immediate family and dependents during medical crises, FIVE Cares is a catalyst for positive change, delivering life-saving medical grants.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Kabir Mulchandani’s recognition in the Forbes World Billionaire List 2024 at #1623, Forbes Middle East’s Richest Billionaire’s List 2024 at #20, Forbes Middle East’s prestigious Top 100 Travel and Tourism Leaders list at #11 in 2024 and #24 in 2023, underscores his significant presence as an influential and innovative figure in the industry. Mulchandani has graced the cover of Arabian Business’ Indian Power List 2021, a testament to his swift ascent as one of the most influential and innovative figures in the GCC. Mulchandani’s influence and leadership has been further acknowledged across various prestigious lists in the region. In 2023, he claimed the #12 position in Arabian Business Dubai‘s 100 distinguished individuals, followed by #8 in 2024. Additionally, he consistently features among the 50 Most Powerful Indians in the Middle East in the Arabian Business Indian Aces Power List for the years 2021 to 2024 and is among Forbes Middle East’s Most Impactful Real Estate Developers 2024. Furthermore, Kabir features in Construction Week’s 100 Most Influential Leaders 2023 and ranks #10 in Construction Week’s Power150 Top Developers in the Middle East 2024.

IN THE PRESS

A charismatic leader and pioneering entrepreneur, Kabir Mulchandani has graced top-tier worldwide press from Bloomberg, Forbes, CNN, BBC, CNBC, Arabian Business, Construction Week, CEO Middle East, and more.