‘Stunned’: Dubai billionaire questions implications of US action in Venezuela

A Dubai billionaire said he is “stunned” by the US attack on Venezuela and the arrest of its president, Nicolas Maduro, on Saturday, questioning “who granted this right” to attack a sovereign country.

This statement was made by Khalaf Al Habtoor, chairman of the Dubai-based conglomerate Al Habtoor Group, following the US attack on Venezuela on Saturday at the order of US President Donald Trump, arresting its president Maduro from the Venezuelan capital and putting him on trial in New York.

"What is happening in our world today? By what logic can we hear a statement from Trump in which he simply announces that 'We have arrested the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and we will rule Venezuela until a transitional government is established? How is it possible that a country with 30 million inhabitants is seized by a decision and that the fate of an entire people is decided with such simplicity?'" Al Habtoor chairman shared on social media.

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Trump on Saturday announced that the US will “run” Venezuela after the arrest of Maduro and will take “take back” Venezuela’s oil, arguing that it should be used to reimburse Washington for past spending.

“I am stunned! I don't understand how this talk can be said publicly, as if it were a normal matter. Has the sovereignty of states become a mere detail? Has it become acceptable for one party to decide who governs, when, how, and under what conditions?”, said Khalaf Al Habtoor on the social media platform.

“This is not a political disagreement, nor a diplomatic dispute. This is an ethical and humanitarian question before it is a political one: Who granted this right, and who allowed a country to be turned into a hostage? What is the stance of the international community and the United Nations regarding what has happened?”

He warned that the most dangerous thing is that this violation of sovereignty has opened a door, and no one knows where it would lead the world.

The Dubai billionaire – who is also a well-known philanthropist – is quite candid about local and global political, social, and moral issues. He also hosts gatherings regularly in Dubai to discuss topical social and cultural issues.

In October 2025, Al Hatboor wrote an open letter to the US President with a proposal for a Gaza reconstruction plan which included building houses and jobs for people in Gaza.

Recently, he urged young Emiratis to marry and called for a law to be enacted to encourage locals to marry before the age of 30. He added that young nationals who refrain from marriage without a valid excuse must be "held accountable", because it is a matter of survival and cohesion of society.