Qatari investor buys four hotels in Surdulica – Privatization worth EUR 1.08 million

Qatari investor Ali Abdullah MS Al-Macki officially signed the contract on the purchase of the majority share in four hotels of the Surdulica-based company Evropa on Monday, July 25. The agreed price is EUR 1.08 million in cash.

The signing of the contract means the privatization of hotels Srbija in Surdulica, Vilin Lug in Crna Trava, and Jezero and Promaja on the shore of Vlasina Lake.

Ali Albakir said in his statement for Tanjug, on behalf of Al-Macki, that this would not be the end of investments in Serbia.

– This is just the first projects and it is related to investing in hotels we wish to raise to a 3- or 4-star level in the next 3 to 4 years. We hope for a five-star hotel in the future – said Ali Albakir in his statement for Tanjug.

The hotels are on the lake shore, which is a very healthy site, especially for the development of tourism.

– It's also good for athletes from Serbia and elsewhere – Ali Albakir said on behalf of the investor and expressed his satisfaction about the first Qatari investment in Serbia and invited other investors from the country to do the same.

– When we arrived here, we met friendly people. We hope that many Qatari businessmen will follow our example. I recommend them to take an opportunity and come to Serbia. We are happy to have signed the contract, and the progress in that area of the country will become visible from now on – Ali Albakir said. The state secretary at the Ministry of Economy, Dragan Stevanovic, said that the privatization was important for Serbia.

– Vlasina Lake is an important resource and if the investors fulfill all their plans there, it will draw in tourists – Stevanovic said for Tanjug.

The Qatari investors officially signed the contract with Minister of Economy Zeljko Sertic on Monday, and in the following days, all the formalities will be taken care of. Stevanovic expects that the realization of plans for all four objects will begin in the weeks to come.

– The cooperation has been going on for two years and I believe that we have opened a new chapter. They've said that they'll be glad to paint a favorable picture of Serbia in Qatar and to get their friends interested in investing in Serbia – Sertic said.

Al-Macki won 70% share in Evropa's hotels at the auction which was completed on May 31, but, before the signing of the contract with the Ministry of Economy, an expert opinion of the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering at the Ministry of Finance

HUP Evropa Surdulica

Ministarstvo privrede Republike Srbije

Ministarstvo finansija Republike Srbije

Uprava za sprečavanje pranja novca Beograd

Ali Abdullah MS Al-Macki

hotel Evropa Surdulica

hotal Srbija Surdulica

hotel Vilin Lug Crna Trava

hotel Jezero

hotel Promaja

Ali Albakir

Ministry of Economy

Dragan Stevanovic

Ministry of Finance

Administration for Prevention of Money Laundering