Damascus: Elegancia Catering, a subsidiary of Estithmar Holding Q.P.S.C., signed an MoU this morning in Damascus with Urbacon Airports to establish a central production unit for catering services at Damascus International Airport. Under the agreement, Elegancia Catering will manage the airport’s in-flight catering operations as well as food services within the terminal.
The MoU was signed by Youssef El-Habbal, Chief Operating Officer of Elegancia Catering, and Mohammad Arif Ozouzan, CEO of UCC Concessions, representing Urbacon Airports.
Abd Almunem Al-Sakka, Group CEO of Elegancia Services, commented: " Providing in-flight catering and catering services at Damascus International Airport is a strategic milestone that reflects our commitment to operational excellence and fruitful partnerships. Through Elegancia Catering, and in collaboration with our international partners, we aim to set new standards in service quality and enhance operational efficiency to elevate the passenger experience and meet the aspirations of regional markets.". “Our selection to provide this vital service at Damascus International Airport, along with our cooperation with Newrest in this regard, both reflect our operational excellence, which stems from our strategy of bringing in the best expertise and adhering to the highest international standards across all the services we provide’’, he added.
As part of this initiative, Newrest Gulf, a minority shareholder of the global in-flight catering giant Newrest Group will provide technical support to Elegancia Catering for design and construction of the future catering production unit at Damascus Airport. Leveraging its international expertise in the management of airline catering, Newrest Gulf will provide technical know-how, guidance on equipment selection, and support for the automation of production processes.
This strategic partnership aims to design a modern, high-performance production unit that meets international standards, assist and support Elegancia Catering in selecting and installing industrial equipment, optimize the automation of production lines, and ensure knowledge transfer and training for local teams.
Juan Leon, Holding CEO at Estithmar Holding commented, ‘’At Estithmar Holding, we continue expanding our regional and global presence and contributing to the development of critical infrastructure in the region within our strategy of international expansion”
This initiative reflects the shared ambition of Elegancia Catering and Newrest Gulf to make Damascus Airport a regional benchmark in airline catering. Combining Elegancia Catering’s strong track record in integrated food and catering services with Newrest’s global leadership in airline and airport catering, the partnership will offer comprehensive solutions across operations, infrastructure, staffing, provisioning, custom menu development, and culinary innovation.
Elegancia Catering is part of Elegancia Services Group, one of the largest services companies in the region, operating in 9 countries with more than 15,000 employees across fully integrated facilities management, large-scale industrial and high-end catering, comprehensive manpower solutions, high-standard workers' and staff accommodations, transportation and logistics, and expert supply & trading services.
Currently, Elegancia Services provides high-end catering services to 27 VIP lounges at airports across Saudi Arabia, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, among others. Additionally, the company provides facilities management services to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan
The Damascus International Airport Development Program, led by UCC Airports aims to transform the airport into a regional hub with a future annual capacity of 31 million passengers upon full completion. The phased plan will initially boost capacity to 6 million passengers in year one, then 16 million in phase two, ultimately reaching full capacity by the end of the final phase.
