MIDDLE EAST. Aer Rianta International (ARI) has named Rob Marriott as Chief Executive of ARI Middle East (ARIME). Currently CEO at Muscat Duty Free, Marriott will take up his new role once a replacement is appointed for his post in Muscat. He replaces Richard Gray, who announced news of his retirement in late 2021.
ARI CEO Ray Hernan said: “We warmly welcome Rob Marriott into his new role as Chief Executive of ARIME following his successful tenure leading the team in Oman. His in-depth knowledge of the business and strong sense of leadership makes him the ideal choice. The Middle East is a core focus of the ARI business, and Rob’s expertise in building and nurturing successful partnerships and razor-sharp focus on retail standards will help ARIME continue to deliver world class propositions.”
Marriott has 30 years of retail experience including previous leadership roles at Morrisons and Safeway in the UK, before joining ARI in 2019.
ARI said he had embraced the company’s “ethos of collaboration, agility and determination to create a bespoke sense of place for its customers, brands and partners” over the past three years.
Marriott said: “I am honoured to take on this prestigious role and look forward to immersing myself with the teams locally. At ARI we pride ourselves on creating the best customer experience possible and with my new appointment, I hope to continue to build an unrivalled offering. I am humbled to take over the position from Richard and hope to emulate his renowned high standards of retail excellence.”
ARIME Chairman Abdulla Buhindi commented: “We look forward to welcoming Rob Marriott as he takes up his new role as ARIME Chief Executive. His success in Oman has already established Rob as an agile and dependable partner to the business, and we are confident that he will lead us to continued prosperity in ARIME.”
ARI said it will move ahead with the process to appoint a new CEO at Muscat Duty Free over the coming weeks.
