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Billionaire who played polo with Charles
By Colin Adamson Last updated at 00:00am on 12.03.02Rashid Al Habtoor is a 35-year-old billionaire Arab financier who has played polo with Prince Charles and counts Prince Michael of Kent, Omar Sharif and Jean-Claude van Damme among his friends.
His oil-rich family owns hotels, construction companies and a lucrative limousine hire franchise in the Gulf.
They have palatial homes both in the United Arab Emirates and around the world, including a substantial country property at Flackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire.
Mr Al Habtoor's flamboyant brother, Mohammed, counts Naomi Campbell among previous girlfriends.
The Habtoor Group recently bought Monkey Island on the Thames at Bray with its 150-year-old country house hotel. Actor Oliver Tobias was guest of honour at a VIP reception hosted by the head of the family, Khalaf Al Habtoor.
The family has other major hotels in Egypt, Dubai and the Lebanon and Jordan, operating under the Metropolitan International banner.
In transport, the family operates Hawk Executive Jet Transport providing business flights from the Middle East to Europe, Africa and the Far East.
The company's fleet of multimillion pound, eight-seater Jetstar II aircraft are equipped with a state-of-the-art satellite telephone system providing worldwide in-flight communication.
Al Habtoor Motors' classic vehicles include Rolls-Royce and Bentley and Aston Martin sports cars. It also specialises in renting out four-wheel drive vehicles.
The group's property development interests are controlled and administered through Dubai National Investment Company.
Its huge portfolio includes two major apartment complexes in Dubai, the Metroplex entertainment and cinema complex in the UAE, Emirates Oasis - an "urban village" development that groups two and three bedroom villas around a central sports club and swimming pool in Dubai's fashionable Jumeirah suburb.
Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises is responsible for most of the construction projects that have made Dubai City one of the most impressive modern cities in the world.
There is also a publishing wing which produces books and a large circulation magazine. Today the organisation employs more than 6,000 staff.
On the sporting side, the Al Habtoors own their own stables and international standard polo club. They also host an annual international tennis challenge competition.
As the custody battle reached the High Court last year, Lord Justice Thorpe said: "The Al Habtoors had boundless funds and in consequence great local influence."
When he last spoke publicly about his determination to retain custody of Tariq, Rashid Al Habtoor said: "He is my eldest son and he will be head of my family. Of course we will love him.
"We will take care of him and make sure he grows up to be a good boy and a good man. He will grow up to be part of our family and I am sure one day he will be handling one of our companies or businesses either internationally or here in Dubai.''
He added: "I am sure Tariq loves his mother and I am sure like any other child he wants to see his mother.
"I did not keep her away from Tariq. He is my son and he is staying with me, but she is most welcome to come and see him. If we did not have to go through all the legal action we took, Tariq would have been visiting them right now in the UK."
