Aya Gawish: Shaping the Next Generation of Luxury Hospitality in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s hospitality landscape is entering a new phase, shaped by ambitious destinations, international expertise and a growing emphasis on experiences that can compete on a global stage. Within this environment, Aya Gawish, Food & Beverage Manager at Rixos Murjana, is bringing an international perspective to the development of one of the Kingdom’s new-generation hospitality destinations.

With experience across Egypt, Vietnam, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Gawish has developed his career through hands-on Food & Beverage operations before progressing into leadership. His experience now spans operational management, strategic planning, concept development, commercial performance and team leadership.

At Rixos Murjana, that background is being applied to a larger objective: creating hospitality experiences that combine service, dining, entertainment and lifestyle.

Bringing Global Experience to Saudi Hospitality

Working across different countries and hospitality environments has exposed Gawish to varied guest expectations, service cultures and operating models.

Today, he is applying that experience at Rixos Murjana, described as Saudi Arabia’s first ultra-all-inclusive destination.

His role extends beyond managing established F&B operations. He is involved in strengthening service standards, developing new experiences and expanding the resort’s Food & Beverage portfolio, including the development and introduction of more than five F&B outlets and concepts.

“Great hospitality is not simply about operating restaurants. It is about creating experiences guests remember.”

This approach reflects the changing expectations surrounding luxury hospitality. Dining is increasingly part of the wider destination experience, where food, atmosphere, entertainment, design and service need to work together.

Building Experiences Around the Guest

A recurring principle within Gawish’s approach is straightforward: How can we make the guest experience better?

That question informs the development of new dining concepts, seasonal activations, celebrations and resort-wide events.

Rather than viewing Food & Beverage as an isolated hotel department, his approach connects it with the broader hospitality experience. The objective is to create moments that contribute to how guests perceive and remember the destination as a whole.

For Saudi Arabia’s developing tourism sector, this experience-led thinking is particularly relevant as new resorts and destinations seek to establish distinctive identities within an increasingly competitive international hospitality market.

Building the Team Behind the Experience

Creating ambitious concepts is only one part of hospitality leadership. Delivering them consistently depends on the people responsible for the guest experience every day.

At Rixos Murjana, Gawish has been involved in forming and developing the F&B team, establishing leadership structures and encouraging greater ownership across the operation.

His focus is not simply on ensuring employees understand what needs to be done, but also why it matters to the guest.

“Service standards become meaningful when teams understand the experience they are collectively trying to create.”

That distinction is important in large hospitality operations, where consistency depends on hundreds of individual decisions and interactions taking place behind the scenes.

Contributing to Saudi Arabia’s Hospitality Transformation

Gawish’s work at Rixos Murjana comes during a significant period for tourism and hospitality in Saudi Arabia.

His contribution sits at the operational level of that wider transformation: developing concepts, strengthening service standards, building teams and translating international hospitality experience into a destination designed for the Saudi market.

His journey also demonstrates the importance of professionals who can combine international exposure with the ability to adapt rather than simply replicate global models.

“The strongest international experience creates value when it is adapted to the character and ambitions of the destination.”

Recognition by The Saudi Leaders

Aya Gawish’s career reflects a practical form of hospitality leadership built from the operational floor upwards.

His experience across multiple international markets has developed into responsibility for concept creation, commercial performance, team development and guest experience. At Rixos Murjana, those capabilities are now contributing to the development of a new hospitality proposition within Saudi Arabia.

For The Saudi Leaders, his story represents the professionals working behind the Kingdom’s expanding tourism ambitions, turning large-scale hospitality visions into the experiences that guests ultimately see, feel and remember.