"Pakistan offers one of the best investment opportunities in the region under the dynamic leadership of President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. This was stated by Sultan Al Habtoor, Chairman, Al Habtoor Group, while talking informally to leaders of the corporate world and financial sectors, gathered at a dinner hosted here by Saad Zaman, CEO of Dubai Islamic Bank.
Al Habtoor Group, a known name in the UAE business community, has grown tremendously in the past 30 years, and while best known for construction, is now also internationally recognised through hotels, real estate, education, insurance, automobile dealership and publishing. It is one of UAE's most respected and successful business corporations that also operates in the Middle East and the UK.
Habtoor said, "Investment from abroad, and even within the country, can only progress and prosper if continuity of policies is guaranteed, both at the micro and macro levels. Short-term benefits, offered by any economy today, are the biggest impediment in the way of investments that are long-term oriented. It is only because of a visionary leadership and close cut policies that investment comes into a particular country."
Saad Zaman introduced Sultan Al Habtoor to the gathering and said, "Dubai Islamic Bank is proud to play the role of a catalyst with regard to business opportunities in Pakistan. In an exponentially growing and investment friendly business environment, the future of Pakistan appears to be very bright." In this regard, he mentioned the names of industrial giants such as Dubai Ports, Nakheel LLC and Emaar.
The group is involved in many landmark projects within the Emirates, such as the world's first seven-star hotel, the imposing 'Burj al Arab' that rises to a staggering 321 metres on a manmade island in the Gulf. Adding to the portfolio of excellence are 'Jumeirah Beach Resort' and the architecturally adventurous concourse building of 'Dubai International Airport, just to mention a few.
A new super deluxe residential development, Metropolitan Suites, will be completed in July this year. It will be located on Sheikh Zayed Highway, next to the 'Metropolitan Hotel'. Other major projects for construction in the Emirates and abroad are underway. The investment arm of the group is actively seeking investment opportunities locally and globally, with the aim of turning the group into a truly multinational company that can compete for business anywhere in the world.