Al Habtoor is a man of strict all-round discipline

Dubai: Khalaf Al Habtoor believes that the secret of his success is discipline in both his professional and personal life.

He manages his time strictly, but is not one to turn down a call; Al Habtoor is available round the clock. He is always punctual. Breakfast is at 6.30am sharp, features papaya and toasted brown bread with honey. Later, he walks from his house to reach the office by 7.15am.

At 12.15pm, he leaves the office to have lunch by 12.45pm. After taking a nap at a bungalow in the Al Habtoor resort complex in Jumeirah, he puts on his tennis whites for a round lasting 90 minutes.

“Tennis is a social sport which I have practised for 20 years. It works out all your muscles. I hate to go to the gym and walk on a treadmill,” he says.

Dinner is at 8pm and Al Habtoor goes to sleep at 10pm. “The need for discipline in ensuring success is similar to man’s need for food for survival,” says Al Habtoor.
Role model

The late Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum was a role model for Al Habtoor, teaching him humility, forgiveness, self-discipline and humanitarianism. He says: “Certainly, my own interactions with him as a young man inspired me to become a better person.

“From him we learnt modesty, patience and determination,” says Al Habtoor, “Shaikh Rashid always had time to support hard workers.”

He tells how he once asked Shaikh Rashid to be among the American and British companies that were tendering for the government projects.

“He gave instructions to let me go with the tenders, but he [never said I should be given the project].

“Thank God I could succeed and beat them all and accomplished the most important project in the country.”

He manages his time strictly, but never one to turn down a call, Al Habtoor is available round-the-clock. He is always punctual. Breakfast is at 6.30am sharp, and features papaya and toasted brown bread with honey.