Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Chairman of Al Habtoor Group, received Miguel Fluxá Rossello, Executive Chairman and Owner of Grupo Iberostar, the Spanish hotel group at the Al Habtoor Group head office on Tuesday, September 2, 2014.
Mr Fluxà was accompanied by his daughter Gloria Fluxà Thienemann – Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the Spanish Group, Aurelio Vàzquez – Chief Executive Officer, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and other senior directors of the Group. Present in the meeting from Al Habtoor Group were K.P. Rajan – Group Financial Advisor, Sunderesh Iyer – Director of Operations and Development and Ahmed Al Otaiba – Director/ Member of the Board.
This is the first meeting between Al Habtoor and Fluxà. Fluxà and his team are visiting the United Arab Emirates to explore possibilities for expanding their business in the Emirates, and specifically in Dubai.
Grupo Iberostar entered the tourism industry in 1956, and includes Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, the hotel division, Iberostate Golf, Villas & Condos, and Iberoservice for travel services.
Fluxà said, “We have heard so much about Dubai and the Al Habtoor Group and we came here to research the investment opportunities in Dubai. It’s a beautiful city and we wish to analyse the possibilities for entering into management agreements here.”
He added, “We own around 60% of the properties we manage because we prefer investing. And we came to meet with Mr Al Habtoor and the Al Habtoor Group after hearing about the Group, their expertise and the big projects they are building in the UAE.”
Al Habtoor encouraged Fluxà to invest in Dubai and the UAE, “We have invested all over the world and have found that the UAE offers the most stable business environment and the best opportunities. This is where we are making our money.”
Al Habtoor and Fluxà also discussed potential ideas for business collaboration. Fluxà, who is staying at the Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa with his team, complemented Al Habtoor on the service and prime location of his five star property.
The meeting concluded with a review of the progress on Al Habtoor City, the Al Habtoor Group’s newest landmark project in Dubai and an agreement for a second meeting to take place in the near future.