File Photo: Emirati businessman Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor. AP
In posts on social media, Al Habtoor criticized remarks by US Senator Lindsey Graham, suggesting that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states should support Washington in the conflict and benefit from US protection.
“We do not need your protection. All we want from you is to stay away from us,” Al Habtoor wrote.
He said Gulf countries should not be expected to join a war that could devastate the region.
“We will not enter this war to serve the interests of others, and we will not sacrifice our sons in a war that serves the interests of others,” he said, adding that the lives of Gulf citizens were “more precious than anything in this world”.
"If President Donald Trump and Senator Graham are ready to risk the lives of their own people and sons for the sake of Israel’s interests, then that is their decision. As for us, we will not do the same," he added.
Al Habtoor also criticized US decision-making in the conflict, saying policies that pushed the Middle East towards war were taken without regard for the consequences faced by countries in the region.
"The reckless American decisions that have pushed the region into war were taken by parties who did not bear the consequences of their decisions, nor did their analysts spread among us before launching them," he wrote.
While acknowledging concerns about Iran’s role in the Middle East, he argued that the current confrontation was being driven by the interests of major powers rather than those of Arab states.
“This war is not a logical solution,” he wrote, saying the conflict was being managed according to the calculations of global powers “without logic, without honour, and without transparency”.
Criticism of Trump
In a separate social media post over the weekend, Al Habtoor addressed US President Donald Trump directly, questioning Washington’s decision to launch military strikes against Iran.
“Mr President Donald Trump, a direct question: Who authorized you to drag our region into a war with Iran?” he wrote.
He asked whether Trump had considered the potential consequences for countries in the Middle East before escalating the conflict.
Al Habtoor also questioned whether the decision had been influenced by Israeli leadership, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The people of this region have the right to ask: Was this your decision alone? Or was it the result of pressure from Netanyahu and his government?” he wrote.
The posts later went viral on social media but were removed from his account on X on Monday.
Business background
Al Habtoor is the founding chairman of Al Habtoor Group, a conglomerate with interests in hospitality, real estate, automotive, education, and publishing.
According to Forbes, his estimated net worth is about $2.3 billion, placing him among the world’s billionaires.
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