Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze dismissed speculation that housing and other infrastructure projects implemented by the UAE company Eagle Hills in the country contribute to “Arabization“ and will create demographic problems, as a myth.
Earlier, Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the opposition party “Lelo for Georgia”, said that Eagle Hills' projects would create a demographic crisis in Georgia and called on the government to disclose the details of the contract with the UAE company. Khazaradze's statements were echoed by conservative forces in the country, who also called on the government to provide more clarity.
“The concerns about possible migration are completely understandable and I consider it imperative to provide the public with full information about the myth of “Arabization“. First of all, it should be noted that Georgia is not building two Arab cities; rather, beautiful Georgian spaces in a European style will be created in Tbilisi and Batumi,“ Kobakhidze said.
In October, Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili and Mohammed Alabar, founder of the UAE-based Eagle Hills company, signed an investment agreement worth $6.6 billion. The agreement also provides for the creation of a joint venture to carry out large-scale infrastructure construction in Tbilisi and the Black Sea resort of Gonio near Batumi. According to the document, the Georgian side is designated as a partner in the project and a 33% owner of the newly created company.
According to the project, residential and commercial complexes, including hotels, with a total area of over 1 million square meters will be built on a 600-hectare plot in Tbilisi. A new premium resort will be built on a 250-hectare plot in Gonio, located near Batumi on the Black Sea coast.