PM Kobakhidze: two new development zones near Tbilisi, Batumi will be ‘beautiful Georgian, European-style spaces’, not ‘Arab cities’

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Sunday clarified that the much-discussed UAE-based global developer Eagle Hills investment project would not create “two Arab cities” in the country, but rather two large, modern Georgian, European-style urban development zones near the capital city of Tbilisi and the Black Sea resort city of Batumi.

The project includes the construction of about 16,000 residential homes and apartments.

Kobakhidze criticised what he called an “anti-state campaign” by Georgia’s detractors, aimed at spreading false narratives about the project.

“It is natural that stimulating Georgia’s economy and state budget on this scale is a serious concern for our country’s adversaries. The stronger and more independent the state becomes economically, the harder it is to undermine its independence. This is exactly what motivated the anti-state campaign built on lies, claiming that two Arab cities are being built and that Georgia is being ‘Arabised.’ These claims are entirely false”, Kobakhidze said.

He added that even if 60 percent of the new apartments were purchased by foreign buyers, that would total 9,600 units - far fewer than the more than 60,000 homes bought by foreigners in Georgia over the past four years, which, he said, had not caused demographic issues.

Kobakhidze highlighted that no foreign buyers would receive special residency privileges and the company’s expectation that 60 percent of units might be sold internationally was based solely on its global sales network.

“Given Georgia’s rapid economic growth and the fact that Eagle Hills’ pricing also allows middle-income Georgian buyers to purchase homes, we expect the share of Georgian buyers to far exceed 50 percent”, he said.

The Prime Minister concluded that the project would provide a major economic boost while creating modern urban spaces that align with Georgian culture and European standards.