Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his delegation during their visit to The Pearl-Qatar.
DOHA: The Pearl-Qatar, United Development Company’s (UDC) multi-billion dollar offshore island and one of the largest real estate developments in the country hosted on Wednesday Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his accompanying delegation of senior officials. The visitors were given an extensive presentation of the island.
Samaras, on a visit to Qatar to discuss investment possibilities, including stakes in Greek state-owned companies, was accompanied during his tour of the man-made island by a senior delegation that included government officials, Greek business leaders and journalists representing key Greek media organisations.
Ebrahim Al Sulaiti, Chief Executive Officer of UDC welcomed the delegation at The Oyster Sales Centre. The oyster-shaped building houses a giant model of The Pearl-Qatar and serves as a starting point for all official visits to the Island.
“We welcome this visit to The Pearl-Qatar by H E Prime Minister Samaras,” Al Sulaiti said. “The visit highlights The Pearl-Qatar’s positioning as a first-class international urban development, providing a golden opportunity for the Greek prime minister and his delegation of government and business leaders to venture into the Qatari market in general.”
He added: “The Pearl-Qatar is UDC’s flagship development which will ultimately be home to more than 45,000 residents and boasts one of the region’s most elegant shopping districts. It’s a mixed-use residential, retail, entertainment and cultural development second to none in the region.”
Visibly engaged with the presentation of the development and its 10 precincts, Samaras described The Pearl-Qatar as “spectacular”. “We have heard a lot about The Pearl and so it was important for us to get a real hands-on perspective of the island and to learn about some of its wonderful areas and districts.
“Venice at The Pearl-Qatar is a brilliant idea, the whole island is a brilliant idea,” he said, later jotting in the Oyster Guest Book the note: “congratulations for this magnificent project.”
Regularly scheduled visits to The Pearl-Qatar are extended to high-profile investors, government officials and business leaders from around the world. They highlight the island’s positioning as a major urban mixed-use development in Qatar, and that it is at once a residential destination, a retail haven and a luxury resort bringing the ambiance and lifestyle of the Mediterranean to the heart of Arabia.
The Peninsula
