“I believe that the state has no role in being a shareholder in a private development company. There is a credible suspicion that we are dealing with a corruption scheme, or, to put it plainly, with Ivanishvili’s Arab affair,” stated Irakli Kupradze, a member of Lelo-Strong Georgia.

Kupradze emphasised that the Agreement with the Arabs [United Arab Emirates] must be made public without delay.

“Two Arab enclaves are being established in Tbilisi and Batumi. The Russian ‘Dream’ has transferred an area twelve times larger than the Vatican to the Arabs in Ponichala. Ivanishvili’s ‘Dream’ will cede 590 hectares in the Krtsanisi Forest Park and 260 hectares in Gonio to Arab interests. This project effectively greenlights mass migration of Arabs, at a time when Georgia faces record-low birth rates and increasing emigration.

The founder of the [UAE] company himself stated that over 60% of the real estate is targeted at international buyers. We all know that when property prices range between USD 5,000 and USD 12,000 per square metre, only foreigners will be able to afford such purchases. We have already seen the impact of mass Russian migration; Arab migration will bring similar risks to our cities.

The influx from Middle Eastern countries has dramatically altered the demographics of major cities like Paris and London, and similar consequences are likely to unfold in Tbilisi and Batumi. A particularly alarming aspect of this project is the destruction of the unique Krtsanisi Forest Park, home to five lakes and an ecosystem characteristic of floodplain forests, supporting up to 100 bird species, including rare breeds.

The terms of the contract are completely unknown to the public. The company was selected, and state land was allocated to the project, without any public discussion or a transparent tender process. This is Bidzina Ivanishvili’s ‘Arab affair’, fraught with significant corruption risks. The question is entirely justified: what role does the state have in a private development project? Especially when many senior government officials have been implicated in corruption, and even the former prime minister has admitted to criminal conduct. The state should have no stake in such private development enterprises.

There is a justified suspicion that we are witnessing a corrupt deal, or, to be blunt, Ivanishvili’s Arab affair. Therefore, the agreement signed with the Arabs must be made public immediately. This project directly contradicts Georgia’s national interests and constitutes a serious crime. We demand full disclosure from the government regarding the terms of this agreement,” Irakli Kupradze concluded.