It’s been a busy couple of months at the Al Habtoor Group. The Chairman Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor was a top panelist at an academic event at the American University of Sharjah, interviewed on stage at the Arabian Hotel Investment conference. The Group was also front and center at AHIC, the Arabian Travel Market and the Careers UAE. Here’s a look at the highlights.
The Chairman was a key panelist at the launch of a new centre dedicated to researching the business environment and the particular leadership challenges and opportunity facing business in the region. The Khalaf Al Habtoor said, “You can’t lump the entire Middle East together. The GCC - particularly the UAE is where the growth is.”
The launch of the Middle East Leadership Research Centre (MELRC) of the University of Cambridge's Judge Business School was held at the American University of Sharjah (AUS). It was also attended by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Member of Supreme Council of the UAE, Ruler of Sharjah, and President of AUS.
Joining Al Habtoor on the high profile panel was Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairperson, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority; Khalid A. Al-Falih, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco, and Dr. Tawfeeq Almoayed, Founding Chairman and Managing Director, Gulf Petro-Chemical Industries Company. The topic of discussion was 'Challenges and Opportunities for Growth and Diversification of Businesses in the Middle East.'
Al Habtoor said the main challenge going forward is human capital. “Finding well qualified senior talent is the biggest challenge this region faces. We are growing at a fast pace and need to ensure we find the right people for the right jobs.”
Khalaf Al Habtoor was interviewed exclusively at the 10th Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 2014. The event, held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group. The high-profile hotel conference, which took place in early May, was opened by HH Sheikh Maktoum. The Al Habtoor Group was one of the main sponsors of the event.
In his opening remarks Sheikh Maktoum said, “The Middle East and the UAE in particular have witnessed a period of rapid social-economic development, which has fuelled the emergence of a dynamic and a very interesting hospitality and tourism sector, where the demand has become extremely strong, with world leading hotels establishing themselves in the region and putting their plans for expansion.”
Al Habtoor told delegates that he expected the strong levels of growth forecast in Dubai in the years to 2020 to continue beyond the Expo. “Growth will continue for at least 15 years from now,” he said.
The Dubai businessman said that Al Habtoor City remains the Group’s biggestever investment, a multi-use development incorporate three five-star hotels and residential towers, will be a new landmark for Dubai.
No sooner was AHIC over, the very next day the Al Habtoor Group made a big bang at the Arabian Travel Market 2014 - the largest ever travel trade gathering in the Middle East. The event, held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, scaled 24,641 m2, and drew in more than 23,000 trade visitors from around the world.
The Al Habtoor Group Chairman, Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor visited several stands at the event, including Sharjah Tourism, Abu Dhabi Airports and the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism.
The ATM, an annual travel trade now in its 21st year, ran from May 5-8 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. There were more than 2,700 exhibitors from 157 countries. Organisers said exhibitors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) demonstrated the biggest participation this year.
A scale model of the Al Habtoor Group’s latest multi-billion dollar mega project, Al Habtoor City, was on display for all to see!
The Chairman has made secret of the fact that human capital is one of the biggest challenges facing this region. Hence, the Al Habtoor participated in Careers UAE, the leading recruitment, training and education exhibition in the country.
The three-day event, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, marked the UAE’s biggest employment fair to date with a record 160 companies on show. It provided Emirati jobseekers employment and training opportunities.
Organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.