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When Emirati hotelier Nasser Al Nowais was helming the Abu Dhabi National Hospitality (ADNH) group in 1987, he had a problem — there were not enough people to stay in the company’s five-star hotel.

“At that time, we had no tourists in Abu Dhabi,” he recalled. “I said I want you to bring me tourists from Germany and Switzerland. So, they went to a travel fair in Berlin and in the first year, in 1988, we had the first 1,000 tourists.”

Fast forward to 2025, Abu Dhabi welcomed 1.4 million overnight visitors in the first quarter alone — a remarkable leap from those early days.

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Nasser shared his story on the opening day of the 20th Future Hospitality Summit at Madinat Jumeirah on Monday (October 27). The three-day event will bring together some of the world's most influential hospitality investment decision-makers to connect, exchange knowledge and explore new partnerships. 

He was joined on stage by Gerald Lawless, who arrived in Dubai in the late 1970s — Gerald later joined the Jumeirah Group in 1997 to help launch the ultra-luxurious Burj Al Arab. Together, they took audiences down memory lane, sharing rare photos and stories from the UAE’s hospitality rise. 

Rolling out the welcome mat

They shared that the first 1,000 visitors were personally greeted at the airport, escorted to hotels, shown the city’s attractions, and sent home with lasting memories. “We used to receive them ourselves,” Nasser said. “We wanted them to experience our hospitality — the real thing.”

For Nasser, hospitality was more than business — it was nation-building. He credits his close relationship with the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Founding Father, for shaping his early vision.

Photo: Nasreen Abdulla

“Sheikh Zayed was very happy to see tourists come to the emirate,” he said. “He wanted to encourage people to come and to see our culture and see what we are doing in this part of the world. He wanted us to build a restaurant that would serve authentic Emirati cuisine. So, we did and he came to visit us.”

Inspired by his vision, Nasser laid the foundation for what would become one of the world’s most vibrant tourism industries — a journey that would eventually lead him to co-found Rotana Hotels, which now manages more than 80 properties around the world.

The 1am call

Reminiscing about his time at the group, Gerald recalled the time when he received a call at 1am informing him that Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was on his way to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

Photo: Nasreen Abdulla

“So, I jumped in my jeans and sped towards the hotel,” he chuckled. “I got three speeding tickets on the way. Finally, this white four-wheel drive with the number one came up. He kept smiling with a twinkle in his eyes and said, see, I gave you a full hour to be ready.”

He shared that Sheikh Mohammed had come to inspect the hotel auditorium for an executive meeting with his counsellors and administrators the next day. “He wanted to see the setup and lighting,” Gerald said. “This is the kind of dedication and attention to detail we saw from him.” 

Gerald also masterminded some of Dubai’s most memorable marketing moments — from Roger Federer and Andre Agassi’s tennis match on the Burj Al Arab helipad to Tiger Woods teeing off into the sky. “Those stunts helped put Dubai on CNN and the world stage,” he said. “It was a moment of pride.”

Photo: Nasreen Abdulla

The secret ingredient

Despite the grand hotels and record-breaking architecture, both men agree that the UAE’s real success story lies in its people. “The most important thing is to treat your people like human beings — like you would treat your own villagers,” said Nasser. “When you invest in your team, everything else follows.”

Gerald echoed the sentiment, sharing Jumeirah’s three golden rules: “Always smile and greet guests first,” he said. “Never say 'no' as your first response. Treat every colleague with respect. It’s simple, but it works. Respect is the foundation of hospitality.”

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