Arab businessman Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor, owner and chairman of Al Habtoor Group of Companies in the United Arab Emirates, inaugurated Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Football and Track Stadium at the American University in Cairo (AUC). A soccer match between AUC team and Al Ahly Club junior team highlighted the inaugural celebration, which was attended by AUC Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Moataz Al Alfi; President David D. Arnold; Counselor Amr Salama; diplomats; presidents of major Egyptian universities; heads of major Egyptian sporting clubs; and major donors of the university.
Al Habtoor donated $5 million to finance Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Football and Track Stadium, an Olympic-standard facility boasting a full football field and a 400 meter, 10 lane track. It provides AUC the ability to train and improve the athletic skills of its students in an ideal environment. The facility also provides the university with a prime venue for regional and international competition. In the inaugural ceremony, Al Habtoor stressed on the importance of sports not only in enhancing the physical well-being of the students but also in developing leadership skills and character building. "I hope this stadium strengthens the bond between Egypt and UAE," he said.
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Football and Track Stadium is part of the AUC Sports Complex that extends over more than 40,000 square meters of indoor and outdoor space. The indoor area includes a 2,000-seat arena main court; a martial-arts arena, which seats up to 300; squash courts; exercise and fitness rooms, a free-weight studio; saunas and steam rooms. The outdoor space includes, in addition to Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Football and Track Stadium, an Olympic-size swimming pool; a soccer practice field; tennis, basketball, handball and volleyball courts; and a jogging and cycling track. "As a community leader, AUC is striving to promote the principles of sportsmanship and team collaboration in Egypt and the region," said Arnold. "The university - thanks to the generous contribution of Khalaf Al Habtoor - will be able to better carry out this goal."
Throughout his impressive and distinguished career in business, Al Habtoor has been an advocate for quality education. In 1975, he founded the Al Ittihad School and became its first chairman of the board of trustees. In 1991, he founded the Emirates International School, the first school in the UAE to provide an international curriculum to the Emirati and expatriate communities. In the United States, Al Habtoor recently established a leadership program and lecture series at Illinois College to foster young leaders at the university. In addition, he has been a pioneer in bringing polo and women's tennis programs to the forefront in the region. Fourteen years ago, demonstrating his pioneering spirit and strong belief in the value of sport participation, Al Habtoor launched the first professional ladies' tennis tournament in the Middle East, the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge.
In 2009, Al Habtoor was awarded the Sharjah Voluntary Work Award by his H.H Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, member of supreme council of the UAE and the Ruler of Sharjah. He is also the recipient of many other awards and honors from throughout the Arab region for his generosity and commitment to business and to the health and welfare of residents throughout the Arab world.
