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Available Immediately · Dubai, UAE
F&B Hospitality Executive · GCC

RahidJilani

General Manager · Operations Manager · Director of Operations

14+ years building high-performance F&B operations across the GCC. I grow revenue, reduce cost, develop teams — and leave every brand stronger than I found it.

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14+
Years GCC
9
Outlets Managed
80+
Team Members
5
Countries
Rahid Jilani, General Manager Dubai
34%Revenue GrowthIn 90 days
9%Gross Profit LiftVia procurement optimisation
94%Guest Satisfaction+15 percentage points
22%Waste ReducedThrough supplier controls
27%Annual Revenue Growth9-outlet portfolio
Rahid Jilani Rahid Jilani
About

The leader
behind the numbers

I am a results-driven F&B and hospitality operations leader with 14+ years of GCC experience spanning premium dining, multi-brand casual concepts, QSR, lifestyle hospitality, and high-volume service operations across the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.

What sets me apart isn't just operational competency — it's the ability to walk into any F&B business, diagnose what's holding it back, and build the structure, team, and culture needed to scale profitably.

I hold a UAE Residence Visa and GCC Driving License, and I am available to start immediately.

Leadership Philosophy
"Operations is not about systems — it's about people. Build the right team, give them the right structure, and the numbers will follow."
Countries worked
🇦🇪 UAE
🇰🇼 Kuwait
🇧🇭 Bahrain
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
🇮🇳 India
Brands
Omar Adili Knafeh
Salad Creations
Seazen Lifestyle
The Filli Cafe
The Noodle House
Abha Palace Hotel
Sodexo
Fine dining restaurant
Restaurant operations
F&B management
Hospitality excellence
Career

A journey built on
operational excellence

Nov 2025 — Present
General Manager
Omar Adili Knafeh · Dubai, UAE
5 Outlets · AED 14M+ Revenue · 75+ Staff
  • Full P&L accountability across 5 outlets — 34% revenue growth in first 90 days
  • Improved gross profit margin by 9% and cut food wastage by 22%
  • Sustained food cost consistently below 24% via centralized procurement
  • Built 35+ team, boosting productivity 30% and cutting turnover 22%
  • Introduced real-time KPI dashboards across all locations
  • Directed feasibility studies and outlet expansion planning for UAE growth
34%Revenue
9%Margin Lift
22%Waste Down
30%Productivity
Feb 2023 — Oct 2025
F&B Operations Manager
Salad Creations · Kuwait
9 Outlets · KWD 2.5M Revenue · 80+ Staff
  • End-to-end operations across 9 locations with full strategic and financial accountability
  • Grew annual revenue 27% through promotions, campaigns, and delivery expansion
  • Reduced F&B cost base 12% through supplier renegotiation and portion control
  • 5-star Municipality hygiene rating in 6 months; guest satisfaction to 94%
  • Led and developed 80+ staff with strengthened training and accountability systems
27%Revenue
12%Cost Down
94%Satisfaction
5★Municipality
Jun 2018 — Jan 2023
Area Manager
Seazen Lifestyle Hospitality · Kuwait
Multi-Outlet · 90+ Staff · Large Events & Catering
  • Multi-outlet operations oversight, mentoring managers on revenue and service standards
  • Multi-venue operations serving 300+ guests daily with zero service disruption
  • Full-cycle people leadership for 60+ team members across hiring and development
  • Large-scale banquet and catering events exceeding client satisfaction benchmarks
  • Cost efficiency measures contributing to improved EBITDA year-on-year
300+Daily Covers
90+Team
2015 — 2017
Restaurant Manager
The Filli Cafe · Dubai, UAE
200+ Daily Covers
  • Full restaurant operations for a leading Dubai homegrown brand
  • Upselling and cross-selling that improved average ticket value and daily revenue
  • Dubai Municipality food safety and hygiene compliance maintained throughout
2012 — 2014
Restaurant Manager
The Noodle House · Bahrain
  • Streamlined table-turn processes to maximize covers per shift
  • Inventory and supplier management to keep food costs within budget
2011 — 2012
Restaurant Manager
Abha Palace Hotel · Saudi Arabia
42+ F&B Staff
  • F&B operations in a full-service hotel with full KSA compliance
  • VIP guest handling and banquet and event service operations
2010 — 2011
Dining Supervisor
Sodexo · Sharjah, UAE
  • High-volume institutional dining with cost control and HACCP compliance foundation
Rahid Jilani
Current Status
Location Dubai, UAE
Availability Immediate
Visa Status UAE Residence
License GCC Driving
Impact

Results that speak
for themselves

34%
Revenue growth in 90 days
Through menu re-engineering, delivery channel expansion, and targeted campaigns — one of the fastest turnarounds in the brand's history. Delivered without capital expenditure.
Omar Adili Knafeh · Dubai 2025
9%
Gross profit margin improvement
By renegotiating supplier contracts, centralizing procurement, and implementing real-time inventory controls. Food wastage simultaneously reduced by 22% — saving significant cost without impacting quality.
Omar Adili Knafeh · Dubai 2025
94%
Guest satisfaction achieved
Raised guest satisfaction scores by 15 percentage points and secured a 5-star Municipality hygiene rating within 6 months of taking over F&B operations across a 9-outlet portfolio.
Salad Creations · Kuwait 2023
27%
Annual revenue growth
Year-on-year revenue growth across a 9-outlet portfolio through aggressive promotions, delivery expansion, team performance frameworks, and brand activation campaigns.
Salad Creations · Kuwait 2023–2025
Restaurant kitchen
Luxury restaurant interior
Hospitality team
Expertise

What I bring
to the table

📊
Financial Management
P&L OwnershipBudgetingForecastingCost ControlFood Cost <24%EBITDARevenue Growth
🏪
Operations Leadership
Multi-Unit OpsSOP DevelopmentPre-OpeningKPI ManagementQuality AssuranceCompliance
👥
People & Culture
Team LeadershipTraining & DevHiringPerformance MgmtTrain the Trainer
🍽️
F&B Specialisation
Menu EngineeringGuest ExperienceVIP RelationsHACCPFood SafetyHigh Volume
🤝
Commercial Acumen
Vendor ManagementProcurementSupplier NegotiationBusiness DevelopmentBrand Expansion
📈
Strategy & Growth
Feasibility StudiesNew ConceptsInvestor ReportingBrand PartnershipsDelivery Growth
Technology & Systems
FoodicsSapaadMicrosSymphonyPOS SystemsPMSMS Office SuiteClaude AIFreepik AI
Credentials

Education &
certifications

🎓
Bachelor's Degree · 2009
Bachelor of Business Administration
Tourism & Hotel Management  ·  Kohinoor College of Management, Mumbai
🛡️
HACCP Food Safety
2018
⚙️
Core Operations Management
2018
💰
Budgeting & Cost Control
2019
🎯
Train the Trainer
2019
📣
Marketing Strategies
2023
Let's Talk

Ready to drive
your operations forward?

I'm available immediately and open to General Manager and Operations Manager opportunities across the UAE and GCC. Let's start a conversation.

✉️
Email
rahid.jilani.fnb@gmail.com
📱
Phone / WhatsApp
+971 50 979 4912
💼
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/rahid-jilani
Send a Message → ⬇ Download My CV View LinkedIn
Available Immediately  ·  UAE Residence Visa  ·  GCC Driving License