Doha is to be twinned with the Albanian capital Tirana as property developers in the Balkan state report that Gulf interest has increased in recent years.
The agreement to twin Doha and Tirana was signed this week during the Mayor of Tirana’s official visit to the headquarters of the Doha Municipality.
Click here to see our visual tour of Doha and Tirana.
“We are pleased to express here the bond of friendly relationship and co-operation with the Albanian people. Through this agreement the good relations between the municipalities and establishments in various fields are confirmed,” said Mohamed Al-Sayed, director of Doha Municipality.
“Doha is a friendly city and the people and the environment are welcoming. The Albanian community, though still small in Qatar, has increased fivefold in the past two years,” Lulzim Basha, Mayor of Tirana, added.
Albanian developers have welcomed the move and are hoping it will lead to increased Qatari investment in the Balkan state. “There is real interest in the Albanian tourism sector from many overseas investors, especially from the Middle East,” Ravin Maharajah, a partner of Lalzit Bay Resort & Spa, which is 45 minutes from Tirana, told Arabian Business.
“The twinning of Tirana with Doha is very good news because it will strengthen already good relations between the two countries and see more investment from the riches country in the world. We have seen regular interest from investors from UAE, Bahrain and Qatar among others,” he added.
Albania has collected a strong of tourism accolades in recent months: It was named the ‘Best in Travel for 2011’ by Lonely Planet and the Financial Times described it as one of 2011’s “most intriguing prospects for emerging travel”.
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