Hilton Worldwide Team Members Make A Splash In Third Annual Global Week Of Service

More than 100 volunteers from Hilton Worldwide took to the coast of Ras Al Khaimah for the ultimate Sea and Beach Clean Up, as the region’s hotels and corporate offices geared up for a mass cleanup effort; as well as other community supporting initiatives across the region.

The activities form part of Hilton Worldwide’s third annual Global Week of Service, October 19 – 25, a week-long celebration of the company’s commitment to serving and enriching the communities where it lives, works and travels. This year, the company is building upon this community engagement and is striving to complete more than 3,000 service projects worldwide.

Speaking from the Sea and Beach Clean Up in Ras Al Khaimah, Christian Grage, vice president of operations, Arabian Peninsula, Hilton Worldwide, remarked: “Global Week of Service is a fantastic opportunity for us to join together to make a real difference in our local communities, and this year, we hope to make a big splash in the Arabian Peninsula! To see local residents and our Team Members actively take part in our efforts is inspiring, as we seek to empower visitors to Travel with Purpose – our global commitment to provide shared value to our business, the environment, and communities around the world.”

Equipped with dive equipment, trash bags and gloves, over 40 divers arrived on the Arabian Gulf to take part in Hilton Worldwide’s Arabian Peninsula signature Global Week of Service event and its biggest volunteer programme yet to help rid the sea off the Ras Al Khaimah coastline of debris and trash. With the support of Hilton Worldwide Team Members as well as over 40 RAK residents, over 100 kilograms was collected from two kilometers of the seabed during the two hour underwater clean-up effort. On land, volunteers cleared a remarkable one kilometers stretch of Marjan Island Beach, contributing 325 kilograms to the impressive haul of trash.

“Hilton Worldwide is a much valued corporate citizen in the emirate and through hosting the region’s signature Global Week of Service event in RAK; they are playing an integral role in our efforts to maintain this world-class tourist destination. With six properties welcoming thousands of tourists to RAK every year, the hospitality company is taking steps to minimize its eco impact through community wide engagement efforts to protect marine life and eliminate pollution,” commented Steven Rice, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.

Meanwhile in Dubai, Hilton Worldwide Team Members returned to Dubai National School in Al Garhoud for the third year running in their bid to make an ongoing contribution to children’s education. Team members rolled up their sleeves and packed their tools to refurbish the IT lab – providing new furniture, and donating equipment to enhance the children’s learning environment.

Rudi Jagersbacher, President, Middle East & Africa, Hilton Worldwide commented: “Across our 69 hotels the Middle East and Africa we place great importance on ensuring sustainability is at the core of what we do to deliver real benefits to the communities in which we live, work and travel. From our work with Ana Al Masry in Cairo; to blood donations in KSA and supporting local schools in South Africa – we are celebrating this commitment and I commend our teams for their hard work for Global Week of Service 2014.”

We have a fast growing portfolio of Hilton Worldwide hotels across the region, so we place great importance on ensuring sustainability is at the core of what we do to deliver real benefits to the communities in which we live, work and travel, and to visitors enjoying this exciting, world leading destination.”

Elsewhere in the region, teams from Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah, DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Hilton Abu Dhabi, Hilton Kuwait Resort and Hilton Fujairah descended on the desert, visited local beaches and took to boats to dive off the coast in a nationwide effort that is expected to protect, preserve and enhance the environment.

Teo Brambilla, PADI regional manager, Middle East, said: “Through this exciting, dynamic and hugely successful community effort Hilton Worldwide is setting the benchmark for sustainability best practice in the Middle East. This is just the beginning of a long-term partnership between the hospitality company and PADI’s Project AWARE, as we both seek to promote sustainability and promote marine life.”

In 2013, Team Members at more than 900 properties and offices completed more than 2,400 volunteer projects focused on engaging Team Members and delivering on Hilton Worldwide’s commitment to Travel with Purpose by creating opportunities, strengthening communities, celebrating cultures and living sustainably.

During Global Week of Service, Team Members are encouraged to share their personal stories of service and hospitality. Throughout the week, photos and stories will be posted at www.hiltonworldwide.com/serve, on the Hilton Worldwide Facebook page and on the @HiltonWorldwide Twitter account.

Emirate:  Ras Al Khaimah

Date: Oct 20, 2014

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