Elie Badawi

Regional Director of Food & Beverage, Hilton Worldwide

Elie Badawi has built a distinguished career across the Middle East, Africa and Europe, spanning both the independent restaurant scene and luxury hotel brands. His path has included high-profile roles with acclaimed names such as Novikov, Toko, Sass Café and Cipriani in the UAE, as well as Four Seasons, where he served as Director of Food & Beverage.

Before joining Hilton in 2019 as Regional Director of Food & Beverage, overseeing more than 50 hotels across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and the Levant - Elie was General Manager of a private UAE company spanning hospitality and retail. He began his career as a chef under Alain Ducasse, rising to Executive Chef before transitioning into front-of-house leadership.

Elie holds a bachelor's degree in Web Engineering from the American University of Beirut. It was his passion for food and beverage, however, that led him to pursue hospitality at École Hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland, where he completed a bachelor's degree, followed by a Master's in Hospitality Management. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) at Grenoble École de Management, France.

A Lebanese/French national, Elie is fluent in Arabic, English and French. A self-confessed thrill-seeker, he skydives and snowboards in his free time, while also finding balance through cooking with family and friends. He is also a committed philanthropist, having served as a volunteer with the International Red Cross for seven years.