Emirati billionaire Khalaf al-Habtoor eyes UAE role in Gaza reconstruction

Emirati billionaire Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor has appealed to US President Donald Trump to be allowed to take part in the reconstruction of Gaza, as international efforts to rebuild the gutted enclave begin.

In an open letter addressed to the US president, the construction magnate laid out a plan to construct 150,000 new housing units within three years and establish new industrial zones and commercial areas, according to Khaleej Times.

He also called on Trump to involve Al Habtoor Group and other Emirati businesses in the 'Board of Peace', a committee proposed by the US and former UK prime minister Tony Blair to lead a transitional government in Gaza after Hamas steps down.

Israel's genocidal two-year war on Gaza has left most of the territory in ruins. Some areas – including Rafah, Beit Lahia, Beit Hanoun and Jabalia – have almost been entirely razed to the ground.

The UN estimates that more than 90 percent of residential buildings have been destroyed or damaged, leaving hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians without homes to return to.

Civilian infrastructure - such as schools, hospitals, energy facilities and water systems - has also been decimated.

The UN has pegged the cost of rebuilding the territory at as much as $70 billion and says that it could take more than two decades to clear the millions of tons of debris stretching across the Palestinian territory.

Following the ceasefire agreement, officials from several Arab and European countries are meeting in the UK this week with international financial institutions and private investors to discuss how to finance and manage the reconstruction effort.

An official at the UN Development Programme (UNDP) told Reuters on Tuesday that the agency had received "positive news" from European countries and Canada about contributing to the effort.

Al-Habtoor's proposal is based on research published earlier this year by the group's think tank, Al Habtoor Research Centre.

In February, it proposed a five-year multi-stage reconstruction effort that would begin by erecting temporary shelters for the displaced and clearing the rubble.

It would then rebuild essential public infrastructure and establish industrial zones, renewable energy infrastructure, and financial institutions to attract investment and boost trade.

Al Habtoor is one of the UAE's largest construction companies.

Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor, the company's chairman, is also planning to invest in Syria as the country looks to rebuild its economy following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.

Earlier this year, he floated plans to operate a new nationwide bus network and establish car dealerships.