On a recent trip to Paris, Khalaf Al Habtoor, the Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, met with Serge Dassault, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Dassault Group.
The relationship between the UAE and France; and the global economy were amongst the topics of conversation during the meeting, on February 6, 2012.The possibility of Al Habtoor acquiring a Falcon Jet from Dassault Aviation, which is owned by Serge Dassaut, was also brought up.
Dassault Aviation, part of the Dassault Group, is a major manufacturer of civil and military planes, producing the ‘Rafale’, the ‘Mirage’ and the ‘Falcon’ aircraft.The company also own Groupe Le Figaro, which publishes the renowned Le Figaro newspaper in France, as well as a range of magazine supplements (Madame Figaro, Figaro Magazine...)
Dassault, a conservative politician and a member of the ‘Union for Popular Movement’ political party, has been a senator since 2004. He’s known for his outspoken views and has been particularly vocal with regard to economic and employment issues in France, claiming that the French taxes and its workforce regulations are detrimental to entrepreneurial success in the country.