Al Habtoor Group Chairman, Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor receives HM Consul General to Dubai Edward Hobart

Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group welcomed Her Majesty’s Consul General to Dubai, Edward Hobart. The meeting took place at Mr. Al Habtoor’s office on Al Wasl Road. 

The HM Consul General and Mr. Al Habtoor have known each other for some time. The British Consul General has been in his post since August 2012 having served previously in Abu Dhabi as Head of Mission. 

Present at the meeting were Mohammed Al Habtoor, Vice-Chairman and CEO and Paul Rayner, Advisor to the Chairman, Al Habtoor Group. They discussed ongoing cooperation between the Al Habtoor Group and British entities – like Help for Heroes, a military charity formed to help those who have been wounded in Britain’s conflicts, and British Polo Day. 

They also talked about the economic boom in Dubai and the benefits of British companies setting up in the UAE. Al Habtoor said, “Dubai is a perfect place for British business. We follow similar principles of law and encourage entrepreneurship. There are many British businesses here that have flourished. I encourage more companies to set up a base in Dubai.” 

The Al Habtoor Group, which is expanding significantly across all units; Motors, Hotels, Car Rental, Schools and Real Estate, employ many British nationals. The Group recently added the Waldorf Astoria - Dubai Palm Jumeirah to its growing hotels portfolio, and is currently building a multi-use development on Sheikh Zayed Road – Al Habtoor City – its’ biggest project to date. 

Al Habtoor said, “As a Group, we are committed to the economy of the UAE – and Dubai in particular. The economy is very strong and our infrastructure is excellent. Dubai alone has two airports to cope with the growing number of visitors to the UAE. With the Expo 2020, the number of visitors is going to increase exponentially.”