Georgian PM in Dubai to Promote Georgia as the Best Place to Invest
To facilitate Georgia’s positioning as a new destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on the global business map, Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili attended the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Congress 2016 in Dubai on Monday. AIM, the World’s leading emerging markets FDI platform, is the biggest investment event bringing government and business leaders from over the world to Dubai to discuss new opportunities for international investment. GEORGIA TODAY, as the key media partner of AIM 2016, was invited to see and feel the spirit behind the organizers’ intention to make Dubai a real platform for discussion of the world’s FDI opportunities.
In addition to participation in the Global Leaders Debate focusing on the new world of FDI, Georgia’s PM had an official meeting with patron of AIM, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
According to Sheikh Mohammed, Arab businessmen have a growing interest in investing in Georgia’s economy, with a particular interest in tourism.
This statement from Dubai’s Prime Minister was proven true by a specially organized roundtable meeting hosted by the Minister of Economy, H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, which gave the chance for UAE business leaders to listen to Georgian government high officials, lead by the PM, presenting their selected specific investment opportunities across Georgia, mainly in the tourism industry and, more importantly, to meet and discuss investment opportunities with Georgian businessmen, including top business names such as TBC Holding’s Mamuka Khazaradze representing Anaklia Development Consortium, Georgian Industrial Group’s David Bejuashvili, m2’s Irakli Burdiladze, and others.
According to Sultan Al Mansouri, Georgia and UAE can even think about the creation of joint tourism packages not only for Arab visitors but for international travelers coming either to Georgia or Dubai. There is an already-established three-hour direct flight between Dubai and Tbilisi providing a fantastic opportunity for tourism connections. The vision is on the international potential of attracting visitors to both countries by utilizing that connection.
PM Kvirikashvili did not miss a chance to focus on Georgia’s highly growing potential to interest foreign companies in investing in the Georgian economy. He said the key factor and the most important and strongest reason for that is the government’s attempt to build a business-friendly environment.
“We need to transform and reposition our government as a more open and transparent institution involving society and the public sector and learning from a fast-changing environment. We are focusing on the creation of a modern state. We are here in Dubai to establish even closer bilateral relationships between the two countries. Despite having already existing investments in logistics and tourism, UAE investors are even more welcome in Georgia. We are glad to discuss new business opportunities. Georgia is the most open economy in this part of the world. To ensure that there is long lasting stability in Georgia despite the regional and global turbulence, we will keep a constructive relationship with all our neighbors. Georgia is a place of stability and strong economic growth,” PM Kvirikashvili told the UAE business community, of course hoping to increase their investment portfolio in Georgia’s economy.
George Sharashidze