The Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches has found its home in a historic building in Zayed Sports City. Opening this September by The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Les Roches Global Hospitality, the academy aims to attract both UAE Nationals and global talent to the hospitality industry.

Les Roches, a top-ranked institution in hospitality management, is bringing its legacy of excellence to the UAE. The academy’s curriculum combines traditional hospitality education with Emirati-centric courses, including courses like Hospitality Discovery Experience in the Emirates and Emirati Cuisine and Pastry. Initially, it will offer a bachelor’s degree, expanding to two master’s degrees in 2025.

HE Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, Undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi, highlighted the initiative’s alignment with Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030, emphasising the importance of developing homegrown talent to sustain the emirate’s hospitality ecosystem. Carlos Díez de la Lastra, CEO of Les Roches Global Hospitality, expressed enthusiasm about bringing their educational excellence to the UAE.

The academy’s state-of-the-art facilities will include a hotel lab, demo room, training kitchen, pastry lab, and a barista and mocktail lab, designed to provide students with hands-on experience. These facilities will also be available for rental, contributing to the academy’s integration with the community and industry.

The establishment of the Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy marks a significant step in advancing the emirate’s hospitality industry, supporting its goal to welcome 39.9m visitors annually by 2030 and boosting the tourism sector’s GDP contribution to AED 90 billion.