IHG Egypt marked a proud milestone as it hosted the 7th annual IHG Academy graduation ceremony, celebrating more than 310 graduates from over 30 tourism and hospitality colleges across Egypt. The event reaffirmed IHG’s long-standing commitment to developing future hospitality leaders through practical training, structured mentorship, and strong hotel–academic partnerships.
Held at InterContinental Cairo Citystars, the ceremony brought together distinguished leaders from IHG and the wider tourism sector. Among the attendees were Maarten Drenth, Regional General Manager – North Africa & General Manager, InterContinental Cairo Citystars; Nasser Fadly, Area Director of Human Resources – Egypt & Africa; and Hesham Zazou, former Minister of Tourism. Senior hotel leaders also took part, including Ibrahim Nashaat, General Manager at Holiday Inn Cairo Citystars; Ahmed Kamel, Hotel Manager at InterContinental Cairo Citystars; and Shady Samir, Resident Manager at Staybridge Suites Cairo Citystars.
This year’s cohort completed hands-on training across multiple IHG properties, including InterContinental Cairo Semiramis, Holiday Inn Cairo Maadi, Crowne Plaza Arkan, voco Arabella Plaza, and Continental Plaza Resort Sharm El Sheikh. The program bridges global IHG standards with practical, real-world learning, giving students invaluable exposure to hotel operations across diverse brands and service environments.
Speaking at the ceremony, Maarten Drenth highlighted IHG’s long-term vision for talent development:
“The IHG Academy is one of our proudest initiatives. Supporting future hospitality professionals is not just an investment in IHG — it’s an investment in Egypt’s tourism sector, its people, and its future.”
Echoing this commitment, Nasser Fadly, Area Director of Human Resources – Egypt & Africa, added:
“Today’s graduates represent the next wave of industry changemakers. We are proud to be part of their journey and to help provide the foundation for strong, meaningful careers in hospitality.”
This year’s ceremony also marked a significant step forward in academic collaboration. Alongside the graduation of participating cohorts from the 30 partner colleges and institutes, a new Memorandum of Understanding was signed, granting students full access to IHG’s newly launched digital learning platform. The platform offers a wide range of free, high-quality hospitality and tourism training courses, supporting students’ professional development and broadening their exposure to global service and operational standards.
In recognition of their vital role in advancing tourism and hospitality education, the deans of the participating colleges and institutes were honored at the conclusion of the ceremony for their efforts in activating the unified cooperation protocol and supporting the continued development of the sector.
As IHG Egypt continues to expand its learning and development initiatives, the IHG Academy remains a cornerstone of the company’s commitment to empowering youth, elevating service excellence, and contributing to the growth and future of Egypt’s hospitality landscape.
