Staff appreciation event at Oman's Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa

Muscat: To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa hosted a staff appreciation event on March 16, 2016 at the resort’s Al Midan Amphitheatre.
The evening was attended by approximately 700 employees of the resort as well as by several invited dignitaries, including Mohammad Al Zubair, Chairman of Zubair Holding, Ahmed bin Nasser Al Mahrazi, Minister of Tourism, Mohamed Hamood Al Tobi, the former undersecretary of Tourism, and Rashad Al Zubair, Chairman, Zubair Corporation.
The evening commenced with a variety of performances presented by the employees, representing key milestones and events throughout the 10 years since the resort opened. These performances included representations from the time of the first General Manager, Desmond Hatton right till the current General Manager, Mark Kirk, and events such as the Tom Jones, Ed Sheeran and Stereophonic concerts as well as Jimmy Choo’s fashion show and the breakthrough into the Indian wedding market.
After the performances, 145 members of staff who have been working at the resort since 2006 when it first opened were invited on the stage for special recognition.
Mark Kirk, Area Manager and Hotel General Manager, later addressed his employees. In his compelling speech, he highlighted how he feels a lot of pride being part of the resort ten years after having joined as part of the pre-opening team.
During his speech, he also conveyed many interesting facts about the resort over the past decade, such as employing nearly 2,000 Omani colleagues since it opened, with some now holding key positions at the resort and at overseas Shangri-La hotels. He highlighted the fact that since the opening of the resort, it has had over 1.4 million rooms occupied, bringing approximately 1.1 million international visitors to Oman and contributing approximately OMR 23 million in municipality fees and tourism tax.
Special recognition and thanks were extended to a particular guest of the resort, Laurence Brisbois from Luxemburg, who, in 2015, completed 500 room nights at the resort. Brisbois was also present as an honorary guest at the celebrations.
Mr Kirk emphasised the importance of the environmental work that the resort undertakes, explaining that the Turtle Ranger has assisted over 50,000 turtle hatchlings (from just over 1,000 nests) in making their way to the ocean.
He was also very proud to highlight how Shangri-La Muscat has always been a key contributor to Oman’s tourism sector and has also indirectly created employment for approximately 60 Omani taxi drivers and tour guides with an average of 85,350 independent transports per year.
Concluding his address to the employees of the resort, Mr Kirk offered his thanks for the support received from the resort’s owner Mohammad Al Zubair, the Ministry of Tourism and His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for his vision for developing tourism in Oman.