Franco-Syrian Billionaire Mohed Altrad Visits Georgia

TBILISI - 2015 World Entrepreneur of the Year Mohed Altrad, is currently on a visit to Georgia’s capital Tbilisi.

A Syrian-born French billionaire, Altrad met with Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili on Friday to discuss investment opportunities in the country.

Altrad will also conduct a lecture about entrepreneurship to Georgian university students.

Altrad owns France’s elite rugby club Montpellier and heads the namesake city’s Altrad Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of scaffolding and cement mixers, with 92 global subsidiaries and revenues exceeding $1 billion.

According the Forbes, Altrad is France’s 39th richest citizen.

Born in what is now ISIS’ de facto capital, Raqqa, Altrad left Syria for France at age 17 when he earned a scholarship to study in Montpellier.

Having arrived in the country with only 35 USD in his pockets, he later converted his misfortune into a multi-billion dollar business empire.

Altrad also met with the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Dimitri Kumsishvili and Deputy Minister Ketevan Bochorishvili earlier in the day.

By Tamar Svanidze

Edited by Nicholas Waller

18 March 2016 20:14