| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Other Name | H.E. Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor |
| Profession(s) | • Businessman • Writer |
| Known For | Being the founder and Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5'7" (170 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Dark Brown |
| Career | |
| Awards, Honours | • Knighthood from the President of Lebanon (1995) • Grand Ambassador of Eminence award from the American Biographical Institute (2004) • Named 'Leading Intellectual of the World 2004' by the American Biographical Institute book (2005) • Gulf Excellence Award of the United Arab Emirates (2005) • Appreciation award from International Indigent Orphan Relief Organisation, Palestinian Children's Relief Fund, Al Ain Centre for Handicapped Children and Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre • International Peace Prize from the United Cultural Convention of America • Honorary Doctorate degree in Humane Letters from the American University College of Science and Technology, Beirut (2005) • Genius Laureate of the UAE from the American Biographical Institute (2006) • Businessman of the Year Award at the Arabian Business Achievement Awards, Abu Dhabi (2007) • World Forum Award from the British Parliament (2007) • Gold Laurels Award from ABI (2007) • Sharjah Voluntary Work Award (January 2010) • Outstanding Business Leadership Award from the All-Party Group on Entrepreneurship and the British Institute of Technology and E-commerce at the World High Tech Forum in London (October 2010) • Honorary Member of the Phi Alpha Literary Society (May 2010) • Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Illinois College, United States (May 2010) • Honorary award by the American University of Cairo (November 2010) • Shield of Merit from The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) (16 November 2011)  • Honoured from The American University of Sharjah (8 February 2011)  • Medal of the Red Crescent for Humanitarian Action (July 2012) • Lifetime Achievement Award from The Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (May 2013) • Lifetime Achievement Award at the Gulf Business Industry Awards (September 2013)  • India-UAE Business Icon Award from the Asian Business Leadership Forum Awards (December 2013) • Recognition Award from the 1st UAE Clinical Simulation Conference (February 2014)  • Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy from the American University of Cairo (AUC), Egypt (June 2014)  • Global Humanitarian and Business Achievement Award from the National Council on US-Arab Relations (October 2014) • Lifetime Achievement Award from the C3 US-Arab Summit, New York (October 2014)  • Golden Friends of India Award by the Indian Business and Professional Council (IBPC) (25 January 2015)  • Honoured by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his ongoing charitable and humanitarian support of the Red Crescent Authority (July 2015) • Best Arab Tourism Investor by Abu Dhabi-based Centre for Tourism Media (September 2015)  • Honoured by Emarat El Youm (September 2015) • HH Shaikh Isa Bin Ali Al-Khalifa Award for Volunteer Work (15 September 2015)  • Red Crescent Shield of Honour by the UAE Red Crescent (November 2015)  • Columnist of the Year by Al Arabiya English News (December 2015)  • Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary – Civil Division (May 2016)  • Golden Peacock Lifetime Achievement Award for Business and Social Inclusiveness (April 2017)  • Golden Peacock Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership for Business Excellence & Innovation (May 2018)  • Honoured by the UAE Investors Council (November 2019) • Humanitarian Award from the Global Gift Foundation (December 2019) • Dubai Appreciation Award for Community Service (January 2022) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | Year, 1949 |
| Birthplace | Dubai |
| Autograph |  |
| Nationality | Emirati |
| Hometown | Dubai |
| School | Al Sha’ab School, Deira |
| Religion | Islam |
| Food Habit | Non-vegetarian |
| Hobbies | Playing Tennis |
| Controversies | • Defense of Saudi Arabia regime after the assasination of Jamal Khashoggi In 2018, after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, he defended the Saudi Arabian regime, blamed for the assasination and questioned the intentions of the international media. He further asked for the boycott of companies such as 'Uber' and 'Virgin' which were pulling out of the FII conference due to the assasination. • Lawsuit for threatening an American citizen In 2015, a lawsuit was filed against him by the American citizen, Khoury, who alleged that Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor had threatened him. |
| Social Media | • Instagram • Favebook • YouTube |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Hamda Al Habtoor |
| Children | Son(s)- 3 • Rashid Khalaf Al Habtoor (Businessman)  • Ahmed Al Habtoor (Businessman)  • Mohammed Khalaf Al Habtoor (Businessman)  Daughter(s)- 3 • Noora Khalaf Al Habtoor • Amna Khalaf Al Habtoor  • Meera Khalaf Al Habtoor |
| Parents | Father- Ahmad bin Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Habtoor (Businessman) Mother- Noura bint Ahmed bin Khalaf bin Abdulla Al Otaiba |
| Siblings | Brother(s)- 2 • Sultan Al Habtoor • Mohammed Al Habtoor Sister(s)- 4 |
| Style Quoptient | |
| Car Collection | Bentley Continental Flying |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor
- His father was a trader of pearls and gold. Due to a decline in the pearl industry, which caused financial hardships, Khalaf Ahmad’s sisters were married off early to decrease the family’s financial burden.
- He grew up in a one-room barasti (palm frond) dwelling in Al Shindagha, Dubai.
- He moved to a fishing village of Al Layyah, Sharjah, when he was 3 years old and lived there till he was 7. He learned the basics of commerce and trade from his father while living in Al Layyah.
- His family relocated to Dubai in 1957.
- When he was 14, he took a three-month summer job as a helper for a geological company based in America and earned a monthly salary of 250 rupees (currency of Dubai at the time).
- He got married at the age of 16 to Hamda Al Habtoor, who is the daughter of Emirati poet and businesswoman, Ousha bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi.
- During the late 1960s, he started working for businessman Mohammed Saeed Al Mulla as his company’s representative in Abu Dhabi.
- In 1970, he established his engineering company, Al Habtoor Engineering, in Dubai, which later became Al Habtoor Group, a major conglomerate in the United Arab Emirates.
- In 1970, he visited London for the first time.
- In 1977, he received his first large-scale contract for building the UAE’s second hospital by the ruler of Dubai at the time, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor with Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Makhtoum
- In 1983, he established Al Habtoor Motors, which deals with the distribution of various international automobiles.
- In 1991, he established Emirates International School, Jumeirah, the first English-medium school of Dubai to offer the IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma Programme.
Emirates International School, Jumeirah
- In 1992, he became the chairman of Dubai National Insurance and Reinsurance P.S.C. (DNIR).
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor speaking at a general meeting of Dubai National Insurance and Reinsurance P.S.C.
- In 1993, he established Al Habtoor Publishing and launched Al Shindagah magazine.
- He served as a member of the World Board of Governors of the American United Services Organisation from 1994 to 1997.
- In 1998, he established the ‘Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge,’ the first all-women tennis championship in Dubai to help promote and develop women’s tennis.
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor during the press conference for the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge
- In 1999, his company, Al Habtoor Engineering, together with the South African construction company Murray & Roberts Holdings Ltd., built Burj Al Arab, a well-known luxury hotel in Dubai.
- He has published several essays and books, including ‘Thinking Clearly’ (2002), ‘An Enemy Called Apathy’ (2004), ‘Essays for Truth Seekers’ (2010), and ‘Is Anybody Listening?: How World Leaders Ignored Prescient Warnings on the Middle East’ (2016).
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor on the cover of the book, Is Anybody Listening?: How World Leaders Ignored Prescient Warnings on the Middle East
- In 2006, he had a net worth of 2.3 billion dollars according to Forbes magazine.
- In 2010, the American University of Cairo, Egypt, inaugurated the ‘Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Football and Track Stadium,’ built from the $5 million donation of Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor.
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor inaugurating ‘Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Football and Track Stadium’
- In 2012, he published his autobiography titled ‘Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor: The Autobiography,’ which won the ‘Best International Book on Business and Economics’ award at the Sharjah International Book Fair in August 2013.
- In 2012, he donated $280,000 to UNRWA to provide food and basic needs for the many thousands of Palestinian refugee families living in Syria who are caught up in the conflict.
- In 2013, he launched ‘Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Foundation (KAHF)’ to promote peace, prosperity, and alleviate poverty in various countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- In 2014, he established the ‘Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Lifetime Achievement Award’ for individuals who have made significant contributions to literature in the UAE.
- He considers the founding fathers of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, as his inspiration.
My model is the late Sheikh Rashid of Dubai. He was a leader to me, he was a brave man, he loved his country, and I learnt a lot from him. Sheikh Zayed was very straightforward, very honest. He was loyal and protective of his country and his people.”
- He has served as a member of the Federal National Council.
- He has served on the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry board of directors.
- He has worked as the chairman of the Commercial Bank of Dubai.
- He has served as a member of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
- He has served as the vice chairman of the Al Jalila Foundation Board of Trustees.
- In 2022, he donated 100 Mitsubishi Pajero SUVs to the Dubai Police.
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor after donating 100 Mitsubishi Pajero SUVs to the Dubai police
- During an interview, he revealed that he was threatened with being killed in 2024 by an anonymous individual from Lebanon on social media, against whom he later filed a lawsuit and won. He said,
I have been threatened, not threatened only with a slap or something. If that was the case, it doesn’t matter, but I was threatened to be slaughtered and killed.”
- He took to X (formerly Twitter) on 28 January 2025 and revealed that due to a lack of security and stability in Lebanon, he would refrain from visiting Lebanon and sell all his properties and refrain from further investments in the country.
اتخذتُ، بالتشاور مع مجلس إدارة #مجموعة_الحبتور، قراراً مؤلماً لم أرغب يوماً في الوصول إليه، لكن الأوضاع الراهنة في #لبنان، من غياب الأمن والاستقرار وانعدام أي أفق لتحسن قريب، دفعتنا إلى اتخاذ الخطوات التالية:
– إلغاء جميع المشاريع الاستثمارية التي كنا نعتزم تنفيذها في لبنان.
-…— Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor (@KhalafAlHabtoor) January 28, 2025
