Al Habtoor Group Chairman welcomes First Gulf Bank CEO

Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group welcomed a delegation from First Gulf Bank, including the CEO André Al Sayegh, at his office on Al Wasl Road on Sunday December 8, 2013. The delegation included Simon Penney, Senior Executive Vice President Wholesale and International  Banking; Mohanad M. Al-Borno, Group Regional Head, Dubai & Northern Emirates, Wholesale Banking Group; Moustafa Al-Khalafawy, Senior Manager, Corporate Banking Group and Fatima Qasimi, Regional Head, Dubai & Northern Emirates, Corporate Banking Group. 

Also present were Paul Rayner, Advisors to the Chairman; KP Rajan, Group Financial Advisor; Sanjeev Agarwala, Director of Strategy and Business Development and Arun Krishnan, Chief Financial Officer. 

The meeting was setup to introduce the CEO of First Gulf Bank, André Al Sayegh to Al Habtoor. They discussed future business opportunities and the global banking industry in general. 

Khalaf Al Habtoor spoke about the positive vibe in the UAE and the thriving economy of the country. “It’s just going to keep on getting better,” he said.  “We have shown to the world we are a world class country, with first class hotels and infrastructure.  We will prove our worth when we host the Expo 2020.” 

He added, “For a long time Dubai has looked to the West and learned from them, but now the tables have turned, and given the situation in Europe right now, I think could learn a few things from us.” 

First Gulf Bank is a leading bank in the UAE. It was established in 1979 and is headquartered in Abu Dhabi.