Dusit International continues Middle East expansion with its first hotel in Kuwait

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Dusit Princess Mahboula Kuwait is slated to open in 2023.


Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has signed a hotel management agreement with Al Fajer International Holding Company, a Kuwait-based private real estate company, to operate the Dusit Princess Mahboula Kuwait – the first Dusit-branded hotel in the country.

The new hotel will comprise 180 hotel rooms and 70 serviced apartments under Dusit International’s upper midscale Dusit Princess brand. The property is located in the Mahboula district, an industrial and commercial coastal area just 25 minutes by car from boththe city centre and Kuwait International Airport.

Slated to open in Q4 2023, the new property will be equipped to meet the needs of both transient and long-stay guests, including associates of local oil and gas companies seeking comfortable and convenient lodgings near their places of work. The property’s serviced apartments have been specifically designed for families.

Alongside an all-day dining venue, a specialty restaurant, and a lobby lounge, the property will offer a swimming pool, a 900 sq m gym equipped with the latest fitness equipment, and Dusit’s signature Namm Spa providing a wide range of wellness therapies and treatments.

Four meeting rooms with capacity for 120 people, and a ballroom accommodating up to 350 guests, will cater to the local corporate and events market.

Situated overlooking the Arabian Gulf just south of the Fintas district, the property will also put guests within easy reach of popular local attractions such as Al Kout Mall, Kuwait’s largest waterfront retail and leisure destination; and Kuwait Magic, a large beachfront mall with an indoor amusement park.

“In line with our strategy for sustainable growth, which includes expanding our presence in key destinations in the Middle East, we are delighted and honoured to bring our unique brand of Thai-inspired gracious hospitality to Kuwait for the first time, and enlarge our footprint in the region through this signing,” said Mr Lim Boon Kwee, Chief Operating Officer, Dusit International. “Prior to the pandemic, the Kuwaiti government stated its intention to dramatically increase the role tourism plays in the nation’s economy, and we are confident that the country will continue to grow as a destination for both business and leisure when the world is travelling again. With Dusit Princess Mahboula Kuwait set to open in Q4 2023, the property will be well-positioned to tap into both markets, and we look forward to making it a resounding success.”

Mr Taleb Hussein Ali Jarraq, Chairman of the Board, Al Fajer International Holding Company, said, “Our mission as a company is to contribute to the sustainable development of Kuwait through distinctive projects that champion quality, affordability, and diversity. By combining Dusit’s signature Thai-inspired gracious hospitality with local hospitality customs and traditions, Dusit Princess Mahboula Kuwait will certainly offer unique guest experiences in line with these values. And we are confident that, under Dusit’s management, the property will deliver enduring value to the Mahboula community at large.”

Dusit’s portfolio now includes 340 properties operating under six brands across 15 countries. In the Middle East, the company currently operates seven hotels and is on course to open two more this year.

Inspiro Enables Remote Workforce of 3,000 Agents with Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD)

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With Microsoft Technology, Inspiro quickly transformed to empower employees and continue providing the highest standard of service


Inspiro, the outsourcing specialist, recently joined hands with Microsoft to integrate cloud-based desktop services and servers into its operations, providing their remote workforce with innovative tools to continue delivering excellent customer service throughout the pandemic.

With COVID-19, the company was faced with the urgent need of enabling their existing employees to work remotely. In addition, they also needed to expand their workforce by an additional 2,000 to 3,000 agents to meet growing customer needs. But at the time, their IT infrastructure lacked the capacity to support the necessary changes, with most of their machines and devices running on physical servers and lacking a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).

To quickly ensure business continuity, Inspiro looked to other options, such as desktop-as-a-service (DaaS), which would enable their agents to use company-issued devices or personal devices for work.

After evaluating viable scenarios and providers in the market, Inspiro opted to engage Microsoft and their Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) solution, a Microsoft Azure-based remote desktop to enhance operational capacity. In addition, they also chose Microsoft Teams for employee communication, collaboration, and engagement.

Inspiro chose Microsoft after a three-month evaluation of available cloud providers due to the ease of provisioning, operation, and DaaS maintenance.

"We chose Microsoft Azure because it is more cost-effective, offers our company more flexibility and scalability, and provides our agents with more productivity while using WVD," said Mark Mistal, Chief Information Officer, Inspiro.

"We used Microsoft Teams as the primary communications channel during the deployment and implementation phases of the engagement. Microsoft also provided Teams training and support to Inspiro employees to strengthen remote collaboration", added Mistal.

"Training was an insightful discussion as it led to a deep dive on how Teams can help in the day-to-day tasks, organizing meetings, and conducting training, among many others," said Rom Saldivar, Senior Manager for IT Operations.

Since adopting these solutions, Inspiro has enjoyed a successful deployment with approximately 1,900 Windows Virtual Desktop machines provisioned for its agents in the Philippines and the United States. The solution deployed further boosted client confidence as the company met its ramp target. It also resulted in 99.99 percent uptime in reliability.

Microsoft's solutions are now part of the company's daily business operations. WVD is utilized to support clients worldwide, with Microsoft Teams as the primary communications platform for collaboration and more.

Inspiro has decided to make their work-from-home arrangement permanent with the company's successful transformation, even after the pandemic passes. In addition to DaaS and Microsoft Teams, the company is currently looking at other opportunities to streamline operations using Microsoft's different toolsets.

“Far but not apart”, PHLPost releases Valentine’s Day stamps

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Today, February 10, the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) will start issuing Valentine’s Day postage stamps as part of its effort to make the season of the hearts more memorable inspite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Themed “Far but not apart”, this year’s stamp feature’s digital art of male and female person with facemasks overcoming physical distance by constant communication in whatever means to send messages of love and affection under a big heart shape ribbon.

The words “Pilipinas” and “Valentine’s Day” were also printed in the stamp. The price of P12 on each stamp is located at the upper corner. Young graphic artist Ryman Dominic Albuladora design and layout the stamps.

PHLPost has printed 25,000 pieces of limited Valentine’s Day stamps.

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in limited face to face activities and gatherings.

“The celebration of Valentine’s Day might be a little different this year, but there are a lot of ways to show love and affection to our dear ones”, PHLPost said in a statement.

One way is to send flowers and letters of gratitude to someone special in our life.

Via its #ExpressPadaLove2021, post offices in Manila, Quezon City and some other areas will accept orders via door to door through its Domestic Express Mail Service (DEMS) of flowers, chocolates, stuffed toys and other gift items.

The public can also call for orders, through telephone numbers (02) 8527-0135/ 0927-245-0835/ 0906-8976930. Payments can made via Electronic Postal Money Order (EPMO) or G-Cash at Mobile No. 0935-3674207.Stamps and official first day cover of “Valentine’s Day Stamps” are now available at the Philatelic Counter, Manila Central Post Office, all Mega Manila Post Offices, Postal Area 2, San Fernando, La Union, Postal Area 4, San Pablo, Postal Area 5, Mandaue, Postal Area 6, Iloilo, Postal Area 7, Davao, and Postal Area 8, Cagayan De Oro. For inquiries, please call 8527-01-08 or 8527-01-32 or follow/like the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PilipinasPhilately/ for updates