Air France KLM opens Dubai office amid crisis

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Updated 08 November 2020
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Air France KLM opens Dubai office amid crisis

  • Air France is expected to operate at less than 35 percent of its year-earlier capacity in the fourth quarter

LONDON: Air France KLM Group has opened its new regional headquarters in Dubai Airport Freezone as the carrier comes under renewed pressure from a resurgent coronavirus pandemic. The Air France KLM team relocated to the new offices in Dubai Airport Freezone which have been designed to support the group’s sustainability goals.

“This announcement comes as part of the efforts and incentive packages provided by the emirate to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic through a highly flexible approach,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Airport Freezone Authority. “This strategy has helped ensure business continuity and growth and accelerate recovery to the next stage, especially within the aviation sector, which has been affected by the global restrictions and measures that were applied at the beginning of the pandemic.”

Dubai’s huge aviation economy has been devastated by the collapse of international air travel as carriers including Emirates and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad have been forced to cut costs, axe jobs and ask some employees to take unpaid leave.

Air France-KLM last week reported a €1.05 billion ($1.24 billion) quarterly operating loss and warned that business conditions could deteriorate further amid new lockdowns across. 

The carrier recently resumed services to the emirate with six weekly Air France and daily KLM flights to Dubai.


The Family Office to host global investment summit in Saudi Arabia

Updated 18 January 2026
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The Family Office to host global investment summit in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: The Family Office, one of the Gulf’s leading wealth management firms, will host its exclusive investment summit, “Investing Is a Sea,” from Jan. 29 to 31 on Shura Island along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.

The event comes as part of the Kingdom’s broader Vision 2030 initiative, reflecting efforts to position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for investment dialogue and strategic economic development.

The summit is designed to offer participants an immersive environment for exploring global investment trends and assessing emerging opportunities and challenges in a rapidly changing financial landscape.

Discussions will cover key themes including shifts in the global economy, the role of private markets in portfolio management, long-term investment strategies, and the transformative impact of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies on investment decision-making and risk management, according to a press release issued on Sunday.

Abdulmohsin Al-Omran, founder and CEO of The Family Office, will deliver the opening remarks, with keynote addresses from Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.

The press release said the event reflects the firm’s commitment to institutional discipline, selective investment strategies, and long-term planning that anticipates economic cycles.

The summit will bring together prominent international and regional figures, including former UK Treasury Commercial Secretary Lord Jim O’Neill, Mohamed El-Erian, chairman of Gramercy Fund Management, Abdulrahman Al-Rashed, chairman of the editorial board at Al Arabiya, Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade Dr. Amer Bisat, economist Nouriel Roubini of NYU Stern School of Business, Naim Yazbeck, president of Microsoft Middle East and Africa, John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea Global, Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon, MBE, co-founder of Stemettes, SRMG CEO Jomana R. Alrashed and other leaders in finance, technology, and investment.

With offices in Bahrain, Dubai, Riyadh, and Kuwait, and through its Zurich-based sister company Petiole Asset Management AG with a presence in New York and Hong Kong, The Family Office has established a reputation for combining institutional rigor with innovative, long-term investment strategies.

The “Investing Is a Sea” summit underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a global center for financial dialogue and strategic investment, reinforcing the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objective of fostering economic diversification and sustainable development.