Al Jaddaf Rotana Complex has appointed Fadi Batmani as complex director of human resources, marking the culmination of an 11-year career trajectory within Rotana Hotels that exemplifies structured talent development through management trainee programmes. The appointment positions Batmani to oversee HR strategy across multiple properties within the Dubai-based complex whilst advancing workforce development initiatives aligned with regional hospitality growth.
Batmani joined Rotana in 2014 through TAROT (The Accelerated Refinement of Talent), the company’s management trainee programme designed to fast-track graduates into leadership roles. His progression from management trainee to complex-level HR director demonstrates both individual capability and the effectiveness of structured development pathways in cultivating hospitality leadership.
Professional Development Trajectory
Batmani’s career advancement through Rotana’s system illustrates progressive skill building across different operational contexts. Following his TAROT programme completion, he progressed through multiple HR leadership positions across properties in the region, developing expertise in employee engagement, talent development, and workplace culture.
Most recently, he served as cluster human resources manager for Centro Capital, Sedra Arjaan, and Sedra Residences by Rotana in Doha. In this capacity, he strengthened people development programmes, enhanced HR processes supporting business objectives, and fostered collaborative workplace culture. This cluster management experience directly prepares him for the complex director role requiring oversight of multiple properties.
An alumnus of The Hashemite University in Jordan with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, Batmani combines academic foundation with practical experience developed through Rotana’s structured career progression framework. His reputation centres on strategic leadership, talent nurturing, team engagement focus, and hands-on approach to HR systems – competencies valuable for large multi-property operations.
The Al Jaddaf Rotana Complex
The Al Jaddaf Rotana Complex encompasses multiple properties including Al Jaddaf Rotana Suite Hotel, offering 318 rooms and suites with city or pool views alongside leisure, dining, and meeting facilities. The complex features six fully equipped meeting rooms, Bodylines Fitness and Wellness Club, outdoor pool, and wellness area with sauna and massage rooms.
The properties target both business and leisure travellers seeking contemporary luxury accommodations in Dubai’s expanding hospitality landscape. The complex’s multi-property structure requires HR leadership capable of maintaining consistent standards whilst addressing distinct operational needs across different brands and guest segments.
Stefan Schmid, complex general manager of Al Jaddaf Rotana Complex, welcomed Batmani’s appointment, noting his strong Rotana background and proven record in people management will contribute to continued property success and team development. This emphasis on team development alongside property performance reflects contemporary understanding that operational excellence depends fundamentally on workforce capability and engagement.
The TAROT Programme
TAROT – The Accelerated Refinement of Talent – represents Rotana’s structured approach to developing future leaders through comprehensive training spanning 12 to 18 months depending on programme specifics. The initiative addresses hospitality sector challenges including talent shortages, leadership pipeline gaps, and need for professionals who understand both operational complexity and guest service excellence.
The programme encompasses departmental rotations providing hands-on experience across hotel functions, exclusive training in leadership and technical skills, mentorship from industry professionals, exposure to actual business strategy, and international career mobility opportunities. Successful participants receive Rotana diplomas and placement in permanent leadership roles based on availability.
TAROT enrolls both external candidates and internal Rotana colleagues, targeting individuals with hospitality or related degrees, strong communication skills, ability to thrive in fast-paced environments, and proactive, detail-oriented mindsets. The programme structure allows participants to tailor training experiences to learning styles whilst developing competencies in hotel operations, communication, business planning, people supervision, and teamwork.
Batmani’s career trajectory exemplifies TAROT’s intended outcomes – transforming promising graduates into capable leaders who understand Rotana’s operational philosophy, cultural values, and service standards whilst developing specialised expertise in functional areas like human resources.
Strategic HR Priorities
As complex director of human resources, Batmani assumes responsibility for developing and implementing HR strategies supporting business objectives across multiple properties. His mandate encompasses talent acquisition and retention, workforce planning, employee engagement initiatives, performance management systems, compliance with labour regulations, and fostering workplace culture promoting collaboration and excellence.
The role requires balancing standardisation ensuring consistent practices across properties with flexibility addressing specific operational contexts, market conditions, and team compositions at individual hotels. Batmani must maintain alignment with Rotana’s LIFE values – Long-term, Innovative, Friendly, and Ethical – whilst adapting implementation to diverse operational environments.
His focus on team engagement and talent growth becomes particularly relevant as Dubai’s hospitality sector navigates robust expansion alongside talent competition. The UAE hospitality industry faces persistent challenges attracting and retaining skilled professionals amidst rapid growth, with Dubai alone recording 18.72 million international visitors in 2024 and projecting continued expansion aligned with tourism strategy targeting 40 million annual hotel guests by 2031.
Industry Context
Dubai’s hospitality sector demonstrates exceptional performance metrics, with hotel occupancy reaching 78.1 percent in 2024, average daily rates at USD 221, and RevPAR increasing 13.1 percent. Over 100 new hotel projects remain underway, with 64 percent falling in the five-star category, signalling continued strength in luxury hospitality alongside mid-scale growth.
This expansion creates substantial demand for hospitality professionals across operational and leadership levels. However, the sector depends heavily on expatriate labour, making workforce development, retention strategies, and career progression frameworks critical to operational sustainability.
Rotana’s investment in programmes like TAROT, complemented by Duroob initiatives for national citizens and LEAD programmes for general managers and department heads, demonstrates recognition that competitive advantage increasingly depends on workforce capability rather than solely on property quality or brand positioning.
Looking Forward
Batmani’s appointment reflects broader industry evolution towards professionalising HR functions and recognising people strategy as central to hospitality success rather than peripheral to it. His background championing Rotana’s LIFE values and building collaborative cultures positions him to address critical workforce challenges whilst supporting the complex’s business objectives.
For Dubai’s hospitality sector, appointments like Batmani’s exemplify how structured talent development programmes create leadership pipelines essential for sustainable growth. As the industry expands rapidly, organisations that invest systematically in identifying, developing, and retaining talent position themselves to capture opportunities that competitors lacking leadership capacity cannot effectively pursue.
Success will depend on Batmani’s ability to translate cluster management experience into complex-level strategic HR leadership, balance consistency with contextual flexibility, and develop teams capable of delivering exceptional guest experiences whilst maintaining engagement and professional growth opportunities that retain talent in competitive markets.
