Leigh has over 20 years of industry experience and assumed his current role in 2021. Premier Inn MENA has 11 hotels in the Middle East, seven of which are in Dubai, two in Abu Dhabi, and two in Doha. In the GCC, Premier Inn operates through a strategic joint venture between the Emirates Group and Whitbread PLC U.K., Premier Inn’s parent company. In February 2023, it announced its plans to expand further in the region, eyeing a potential opening in Saudi Arabia. Leigh was previously the group procurement and supply chain director for Whitbread globally.