Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor welcomed HE Patrick Hennessy, the Irish Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates to his office on Monday April 14, 2014. It was the first meeting between the two gentlemen.
Al Habtoor recently returned from a visit to the Irish capital Dublin where he is looking at investment opportunities. He stayed at the Merrion Hotel, a Georgian building in the heart of the city centre opposite major landmarks. “This wasn’t my first visit to Ireland, and I would definitely go back,” said Al Habtoor. “Dublin has a great atmosphere. It is a cosmopolitan city full of international visitors. I was impressed with the architecture in the city, and I love the wet, cool weather.”
HE Hennessy informed Al Habtoor that now is the time to invest in Ireland and about the economic recovery underway in the country, “The quicker you move, the better the value,” he said.
He added that the construction sector is very active, as well as the export and food sector.
He also told Al Habtoor that earlier in the year 80 companies from Ireland visited Dubai to look at potential investment opportunities here. The delegates came on a three-day visit. He added that they appreciated that Dubai is fast becoming the centre of the world. “They enjoyed golfing in the UAE and the beautiful weather.”
Hennessy was nominated as ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in February 2013, a post that also covers Kuwait, Qatar and Afghanistan. He replaced Irish Ambassador in Abu Dhabi, Ciarán Madden, who returned Dublin.