Foreign investment is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Georgian Economy. Swefland Group hosted its first international investment conference this year. The event brought together some of the most prominent foreign investors and Georgian business representatives. Swefland Group, a leading Georgian real estate developer, focuses on the Middle East and North Africa.
The event featured more than eight keynote speakers, including those from the EU, China and the Middle East, with the aim of restimulating the economy by way of this investment avenue. This portfolio includes many investors who have made significant investments in Georgia, and can attest to its business and economic climate.
Mahmoud Sami, the CEO of Sweftland Group spoke to GEORGIA NOW prior to the event. He described his expectations and the huge increase in demand from investors.
Swefland Group expects to recruit over $224,000,000 in Georgia. According to our investment department’s calculations and visibility studies, we have invited more than 25 high-level investors interested in increasing their investment budget in Georgia.
The “Invest Hub 2022” conference, held at the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace in Georgia, welcomed over 100 participants from around the globe. Zhao Yinong was the first speaker after brief introductions from some of the hosts. His East-West investor’s vision is centered around the Chinese investment model for Georgia, which places an emphasis on trade, the Belt & Road Initiative and the Belt & Road Initiative. China has already invested billions of dollars in infrastructure and trade projects, a testament to Georgia’s lucrative opportunities.
Ilia Tamarashvili spoke in depth about the potential for agricultural investment after his presentation. Georgia’s fertile farmland offers a wide range of opportunities for direct agriculture investments and farm equipment programs. The co-investment with government programs, especially dairy modernization initiatives and assurances of government technology programs, opens the door for more Rural Development Programs via the United Nations Development Program. This also expands to include non-agricultural entrepreneurial development programs for small towns and municipalities.
Akaki Saghirashvili covered a number of legal considerations that investors were eager to learn about when investing in Georgia. He outlined how easy it was to get started in Georgia, from the ease of administration online to the Free Trade Agreements Georgia enjoys with the EU and China. The attendees were interested in how the country has made improvements to its corporate law structure. In a return to the topic of land and rural developments, the registration of both public and private lands has been a campaign for his office. He now describes it as a success, bringing land development opportunities to anyone interested.
Hynek cech, one the founders of REGI Base Foundation presented his veterans’ charity funds and plans for a treatment facility in Tbilisi. REGI Base is a nonprofit organization located in Prague, Czech Republic that provides medical and rehabilitation services for many NATO military service members who have been injured abroad.
REGI Base plans to open an airport facility in Tbilisi, due to Georgia’s central position to Europe, the Middle East and parts of North Africa. Cech’s presentation shows this facility in great detail. It offers both a medical center and aircraft parking facilities to transport wounded warriors away from danger. The facility will also receive a special visa, which will allow for faster and easier transportation, both for wounded soldiers and their families. The Czech medical staff, along with robotic technology for the rehabilitation of patients, will make this hospital one of the first in the region.
Swefland Group, REGI Base and other participants signed a memorandum to understand the goals of both organizations and the plan to work together in order to achieve the investment backing as well as a completed facility.
Swefland Group representatives then took the stage to present their housing development plans for Georgia. As one of the biggest developers in the area, their insight on both urban and rural plans showed a keen sense of how to attract a foreign audience.
Their rural development plans included new housing plots with self-sustainability measures. These measures included the extensive use renewable energy sources like solar and wind to clean building materials, and waste management practices. These practices are mirrored in the urban centers with new urban housing plans that feature luxury apartments with clean and modern amenities.
Swefland Group’s unique radio station is another project. Mtsvane Kalaki, Green City Radio, is set to launch in the next year, delivering music and talk shows, as well as traditional programming.
Another venture of the group includes the Tourzilla tourism company, and the FC Gardabani sport program. Tourzilla is a full service tourism company that offers tours for private and corporate clients. It also offers travel advice, car and hotel bookings, and complete travel bookings. FC Gardabani, a large-scale youth sport and wellness program, aims to keep Georgian youth active through a variety of intramural sports.
The VIP of the event, Mr. Hussein Al-Shahrani followed this with his experience and outlook from investing in projects in Georgia. He shared his insights from the beginning to his growing portfolio and wallet size, as well his outlook for 2022. This article cannot share his exact views as he only spoke in Arabic, his native language.
Mikheil Tarakhchev then shared the benefits and projects that were already in place to ease investor concerns. Tarakhchev’s Cross-Cultural Communication Center is the link that connects foreign investors with local business and government representatives. His description of current infrastructure projects, as well as current Free Trade Agreements between the EU and China, is that they are signs of a healthy investing environment. Free Trade Zones and Investment Zones are further incentives for prospective investors, especially in the energy and property sectors. He also described the taxation system in the country as being “low, fair, and efficient” and the labor force as being “young and skilled.”
Swefland Group representatives then took the opportunity to outline an additional project that they intend to launch. The “Hollywood Resort” is a multipurpose development project with multiple facets that includes all of the presentations above. The resort is designed with rural upscale housing, arts, sports, commerce and commerce components. It will not only offer amazing accommodations, but also jobs, and green environment initiatives, outside of major city centers.
The project, which is located approximately 30 minutes from the capital, will bring in millions of dollars in investment, over 1800 new jobs, and local services for both new and existing residents. A hotel with more than 100 rooms on a structure of 50,000 square meters is planned as a complement to this project, along with special amenities to attract film companies to Georgia.
Swefland Group, the company that handles the marketing of international customers, and Oplus Ecosystems signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the end of the event to work together to complete the project. They begin their partnership by combining the real estate development model with the investor attraction one.
After the presentations, attendees were free to network and mingle eager to discuss their businesses. The investment pitches left a mark with their fantastic imagery and 3D rendered pictures of what is to come. Georgia’s leaders, many of whom attended, will be eagerly engaged in assessing and accepting any new investment activity. Georgia will need to engage in these foreign activities if they are to grow at the pace they desire.
By Michael Godwin
Read More @ georgiatoday.ge