Al Habtoor Group Chairman Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor welcomed former Illinois Congressman, the Honourable Paul Findley at the Al Habtoor Group head office on Thursday 13 March, 2014. On the occasion of his visit, Mr. Findley formally introduced Mr. Al Habtoor to Dr. Barbara A. Edwards Farley, the newly appointed President of Illinois College. The meeting was also attended by Paul A. Rayner, Advisor to the Chairman along with Craig and Elizabeth Findley – the former congressman’s son and grand-daughter.
Dr. Barbara A. Edwards Farley was recently appointed the 14th President of Illinois College, after taking over from Axel D. Steuer, who announced his retirement in May 2013. She is the first female President for the highly appraised American post-graduate institution. Dr. Farley invited Mr. Habtoor to lecture at the College this coming Fall and presented him with a report on the Al Habtoor Lecture Fund. It will coincide with a visit to the US by the Al Habtoor Group Chairman to attend the C3 Summit in New York.
Al Habtoor said, “The Illinois College can always count on my continued support and I am already looking forward towards my return later this year. I am proud to be an alumni of one of the most respected colleges in the United States and abroad that has for over 180 years prepared young men and women for lives of leadership and service.”
They discussed positive developments at the Illinois College with respect to the integration and contributions of Arab students to the student body. Al Habtoor encouraged further development in research related to the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process. , “We should not differentiate between religions, we are all one, there are only differences between individuals,” he said.
Al Habtoor also briefed the group about former US President Jimmy Carter’s recent visit to Dubai with a delegation from The Carter Center.
Mr. Findley, a long-time personal friend of Mr. Al Habtoor, will be spending a few days in Dubai as a special guest of the Chairman at the Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa.