Ahmed Said

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2011
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Four Seasons Hotel Baku, Azerbaijan

Employment History

• St Regis Al Mouj Muscat, Oman; Sunswept Resorts, Saint Lucia; Fairmont Hotel Amman, Jordan; Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Four Seasons Hotel Baku, Azerbaijan; Raffles Makkah Palace, Saudi Arabia; Sheraton Club Des Pins Resort, Algeria; Grand Hyatt Cairo Hotel, Egypt; Nayyara Conference and Banqueting Center, Saudi Arabia; Movenpick Hotel, Egypt; InterContinental Cairo Semiramis, Egypt; Sonesta Hotel Cairo, Egypt

Birthplace

• Cairo, Egypt

Education

• Bachelors of Art, Tourism and Hotel Management, Helwan University; Petits Gateaux with Dorian Zonca, Bellouet Conseil Paris, France

Languages Spoken

• Arabic, English

For the young Ahmed Said, the kitchen was a creative playground. His father ran a pastry shop, and several family members were trained pastry chefs. Surrounded by such culinary talent from an early age, Ahmed developed a natural curiosity for technique and flavour. Observing the precision and artistry in their work instilled in him an appreciation for discipline and detail — qualities that would later define his own distinctive style.

Keen to explore the world, Ahmed studied for a BA in Tourism and Hotel Management. Yet his passion for the art of baking was never far behind. Beginning as an Assistant Chef at a chain of 31 French pastry shops in his native town in Egypt, he went on to build a 25-year career spanning fine foods and luxury hospitality.

At its core, Ahmed believes a culinary career is all about art. “For me, culinary pursuits are naturally artistic,” he says. “Art brings me hope, and pastry is my way to express that.” Inspired by everyday beauty—whether a painting, a landscape, a piece of music, or simply the elegant form of natural foods—he constantly views the world through a prism of creativity and inspiration. He then translates these visual and sensory sparks into his renowned chocolate artwork, intricate Arabic sweets, and showstopping plated desserts.

With the added ingredients of sound business acumen and a talent for uplifting others, Ahmed has deftly scaled his influence, overseeing teams from Marrakech to St. Lucia. He first joined Four Seasons in 2011 as part of the pre-opening team at Four Seasons Hotel Baku in Azerbaijan. Within a year, the team’s vision was rewarded with a slew of awards—from Conde Nast Traveller Russia’s Top 50 New Hotels to TripAdvisor's Top 10 Hottest New Hotels—and Ahmed's inspirational influence was cemented.

Key to Ahmed’s success is his ability to quickly and effectively motivate a can-do spirit and a deep sense of purpose among his teams. After more than 25 years in hospitality, his greatest lesson is clear: success is born from growing together as one team.

For Ahmed, one of the greatest pleasures afforded by his career is the opportunity to discover new cultures, meet different people and eat local foods. He’s excited to not only to work with the ambitious culinary team at Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya, but to discover a region renowned for its spices and unique ingredients.

For his Kuwait-infused creations, such as Cardamom Madeleine and Date Financier, inspiration first comes in the form of local fruits and vegetables; his inner artist then begins drawing these elements together using classic French techniques; local culinary customs add further accents and colour, before the stories and knowledge of his local team transform each creation into edible memory-fuelling narratives for guests.

For Chef Ahmed, even relaxation is an art form. Away from the kitchen, he seeks inspiration in the world around him — in the curve of a beach, the colours of a market, or the simple poetry of the everyday. From those early days in his father’s pastry shop, he continues to find beauty worth transforming into sweet creations that reflect the small, artful moments all around him.