Sheikh Al-Thani to invest in major project for Marbella

The new owner of Malaga football club has announced that he is studying the viability of a major project for Marbella.

Abdullah Al-Thani (second left) during the meeting with the mayor of marbella, Ángeles Muñoz. Josele-Lanza. The purchase of Malaga CF is only the first of several plans the Qatar sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani has for the Costa del Sol. On Sunday the sheikh announced that he plans to invest in a major business project in Marbella. At a meeting with mayor Ángeles Muñoz and deputy mayor Francisca Caracuel, Al-Thani went one step further and explained that his project was at an advanced stage and added that it was related to the tourism sector. Few details were revealed except that the sheikh is currently studying the financial viability of the scheme.

The sheikh did say, however, that Marbella represented an excellent opportunity for investment due to its tourism potential and because it is a name that is recognised the world over. In the brief 20 minute meeting, the sheikh was accompanied by his top executive Abdullah Ghubn, the CEO of NAS, Al-Thani’s group of 15 firms; by the lawyer, Yasmin Al Sahoud; and by Taysir Al Sahoud, another of his advisors.

The mayor expressed her satisfaction that Al-Thani had chosen Marbella as his destination. Muñoz recalled that the sheikh’s family had had a good relationship with the town. “He is a great businessman in his country and it is wonderful news that he has set his business sights on Marbella”, said the mayor after the meeting. No dates were set but Muñoz pointed out that more detailed meetings regarding the business project in question would soon be held.

Neither the sheikh nor the mayor revealed what exactly the business project involved, although Ángeles Muñoz did say that it was a significant investment that would “without a doubt” benefit the local economy. Muñoz expressed her gratitude to the sheikh for having chosen Marbella, as, with his prestige, he could have gone anywhere in the world to invest money.
During the official reception held in the mayor’s office, Muñoz gave Al-Thani a copy of the book “La Crónica de Marbella”, by Fernando Alcalá.

On Monday the regional head of Tourism, Luciano Alonso, said that he was “hopeful” as he awaited further details of the future project. Alonso stressed that “Arab” tourism was “interesting” for Andalucía, a place where visitors feel “much more comfortable” than in other parts of the world.

"The benefits 2016 could bring to the province would be cultural and economic"

The city of Malaga, candidate for the European Capital of Culture 2016 title, faces the first ‘cut’ in October

The city of Malaga is aiming to be European Capital of Culture 2016, competing against fourteen other Spanish cities. Javier Ferrer Morató, manager of the Malaga 2016 Foundation, is confident that the city will get past the first cut in October and thinks that Malaga’s candidacy has a good chance of beating all the other candidate cities to win the title. It is all about participation, he says, and he is calling on everybody in the province to get involved.

What are Malaga’s advantages in its bid to be cultural capital?
The basic pillars of the bid are all the cultural activities we can offer, not only in the city but all over the province: there are so many things going on in Antequera, Marbella, Ronda, Vélez-Málaga... and we have the advantage of already being a multicultural society. Only recently we had a very successful multicultural fair in the park here in Malaga and that was by no means the only event of its kind. We want to include cultural manifestations from the rest of the province, and also bring them here to the city.

What else will be taken into account?
The infrastructure is important, because people have to be able to get to the city and have somewhere to stay while they explore the culture! We already have the airport and other excellent connections with the rest of Europe, plenty of accommodation, and any number of cultural centres - some of the other candidate cities are having to put these things in place now.

If Malaga wins the title, what benefits will it bring?
At the moment, this area is seen as a destination for sun and sea holidays, although in recent years Malaga has made inroads as a cultural destination too. Establishing it as a major capital city for culture would have enormous benefits: it would mean thousands more visitors, new jobs, a boost to the economy... We have been looking at the example of Liverpool - another port city - which has been transformed through being European Capital of Culture. Liverpool calculated that as a direct result of 2008 and over the course of five years, it attracted almost 10 million more visitors.

How does Malaga’s candidacy compare with the other Spanish cities?
I really think that ours is the best all-round candidacy. Cordoba, for example, is more monumental and there are others as well, like Cáceres, which are World Heritage cities, but Malaga is not lacking in monuments and museums and other cultural sites, and it also has the infrastructure. The involvement of the city, of its people, is also paramount, and in Malaga cultural manifestations are not from the top down, they are led by the people, they are participatory.

What can our readers do?
Foreign residents in Malaga already take part in many of the cultural events and appreciate the multi-cultural aspects of the area, so I would ask them to come to Malaga and see all that the city offers. And of course, let us know their ideas, how they would like to participate, just like everyone else in Malaga.

Underground works in Malaga to include a second tunnel for local railway line

The Junta de Andalucía has revealed the plans for the stretch of the Metro through the city’s Alameda Principal

Construction of the city of Malaga’s future underground Metro service has been under way for the last couple of years although work began on the outskirts. The tunnels will have to cross the city centre, however, and the authorities are preparing for the most difficult part of the project: digging up the Alameda Principal and the Paseo del Parque. On Tuesday the regional Department of Public Works delivered its plans for the central stretch to the City Hall. Along this underground section, lines 1 and 2 will merge between the Tetuán bridge and the Paseo de Reding.

A new aspect of the plans is that they involve the construction of a second tunnel, underneath the main tunnel to be used by the Metro, which will allow the local Cercanías railway line to be extended at a future date to the Plaza de la Marina.

The inclusion of the second excavation is in response to a request made by the City Hall, according to municipal sources, who added that this will mean that if and when a decision is made to extend the Cercanías railway line, there will be no need to dig up the Alameda Principal all over again. The PP group at the helm of the City Hall has been calling for the central government to extend the line for some time.

Work on the 1,085 metres of underground line through the city centre will not get under way at least before May 2011. This the foreseen date for the completion of work on the stretch currently under construction between the Renfe railway station and the Guadalmedina. In order to reduce traffic disruption to a minimum work in the Alameda will not start until things are back to normal in the area around El Corte Inglés.
The tunnels will pass under the north carriageway of the Alameda as on this side it will affect as few trees as possible and be technically less complex.

Eighteen metres deep
The tunnels are being excavated using reinforced concrete diaphragm walls. These will be deepest where the tunnel passes beneath the River Guadalmedina where they will reach a depth of 18 metres below the bridge. At this point the Metro line will be 12 metres below the river bed. In the Plaza de la Marina excavations will go down 15 metres and in La Malagueta, a depth of 12 metres will be reached.
The central stretch of Metro line will include two stations, one in the Plaza de la Marina and another in the Malagueta area near the bullring.
1,085 metres: The length of the stretch of underground tunnel that will cross the city centre.

38 months: The estimated time required for the construction of the central stretch, which will not start at least until May 2011.
125 million euros: The estimated cost of the stretch.

Michelle Obama visit puts Marbella onto the World Tourism Map

As one of the top holiday destinations on the Costa del Sol, Marbella has always been a playground for the rich and famous. However, the upcoming private trip of America’s First Lady Michelle Obama (between August 4th and 8th) to this luxury seaside resort has certainly helped the town’s profile.

Until 1960, Marbella was mainly an industrial city and it was only in the later decades of the 20th century that it gained prominence as a holiday hot spot. Its soothing climate, lovely stretch of sandy beaches and historic culture were channelised with the development of world-class infrastructure that is Marbella today.

However, during the early years of its popularisation, Marbella really promoted itself among those wealthy jet set tourists, including European aristocrats and Hollywood actresses, enticing them with chic beachside resorts and villas. Subsequent real-estate development in future years has allured many property buyers who wish to set up a second home in this magnificent setting.

Although Marbella’s transformation into a prosperous Mediterranean town began with large scale municipal construction activities, the town has been tainted with the accusation of corruption and property scandals with the involvement of its municipal authority. It all began in 1990s with the election of Jesus Gil as the Mayor of Marbella.

However, although this individual was earlier credited for the construction boom, Jesus Gil was later forced to resign in 2002 and briefly imprisoned, following his involvement with a series of corruption scandals. This was not the end of such scandals because in 2006 the entire Marbella Town Hall was summarily dismissed by the Madrid government with irregularities and corruption cases in urban planning.

Marbella’s meteoric rise in the property market resulting in the inhabitation of some of the wealthiest people in the world has also made Marbella vulnerable and an attractive target especially to those in the criminal fraternity. However, since 2006 and specifically under the governance of the present Mayoress Angeles Munoz, the town is trying and succeeding to gain back its 60s reputation.

With Michelle Obama’s visit in August 2010, Marbella has certainly got a chance to promote itself to the world. Praising the tourist potential of the town, the Mayoress says: “it’s always been a popular destination with a strong and very powerful global brand and the visit of Obama family shows that strength of Marbella.”

Marbella is now Centre Stage on the World Tourism Map

Welcoming Mrs Obama, Munoz said that Michelle Obama could have travelled anywhere in the world but she chose Marbella. The Mayor further highlighted that the visit of the Obama family removes any negative connotation towards the town and it also highlights the political and institutional stability achieved in the current legislature. In her words, Marbella has been put in the world tourism map.

The Costa del Sol resort town of Marbella has everything you can ask in a holiday and rest: with an extraordinary climate, sun, beach, leisure, sport, cuisine, shopping and a host of wonderful places for sightseeing.

It has been confirmed that Michelle Obama and her daughter Sasha, aged 9, along with some old family members will reside at the luxurious Hotel Villa Padierna, located in Benahavis near Marbella. The five-star Hotel Villa Padierna – a golf and spa resort – is a property of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

With luxurious accommodation, lavish spa and recreation facilities, the hotel is preferred by many as one of the finest places to soak in the Mediterranean sun in an idyllic setting, while the historic town of Marbella a few minutes away provides a blissful time to its guests.

As reported, the booking for the Obamas is for 35 rooms in which standard rooms start at 250 euros per night and upwards to cover 5,000 euros per night. In any case, it’s a tour of the US Presidential family and, without a doubt, a positive boost to the image of the region. The Obamas will later travel to Mallorca from Marbella and pay an official visit to Spain’s King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia.

Malaga Airport: Terminal 3 is born

On 16th March 2010, King Juan Carlos officially opened Málaga Airport’s brand new terminal, T3. The opening of the terminal has been heralded a huge success, and launched without a hitch, unlike London Heathrow´s Terminal 5.

Terminal 3 at Málaga Airport has been fully operational since its inauguration and on 16th March it handled approximately 16,000 passengers on its very first day.

Málaga Airport is Spain’s fourth busiest airport, after Madrid Barajas, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca and last year the airport welcomed almost 12 million passengers. Málaga Airport is the international airport of Andalucía accounting for 85% of its international traffic and is the only one offering flight connections to over 60 countries worldwide.

As one of the most popular European holiday destinations, the extension and improvement of Málaga Airport was inevitable to improve the overall efficiency of day-to-day arrivals and departures and provide passengers with a more enjoyable travel experience.

Terminal 3 is a state-of-the-art, contemporary travel hub which boasts an amazing commercial centre, home to leading brands including Swarovski, Ferrari, Adidas, Adolfo Domínguez, Björn Borg, Burberry, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Longchamp, Polo Jeans, Ralph Lauren, Travel Mate etc.

In addition to great shops, the new terminal features a superb food hall spanning 6,000m which will become the largest in Europe. Facilities include Starbuck’s, Burger King’s third Whopper Bar in the world (and the first at any airport), La Moraga, a seafood bar courtesy of The Caviar House & Prunier chain, Soho Coffee & Co etc.

Having injected 1.775 billion euros into extending and improving Málaga Airport, when everything is complete, the airport will have the capacity to handle 9,000 passengers an hour and 30 million passengers a year.

By the end of 2010, the new runway should be ready at Málaga Airport.

When T3 is completely finished, the terminal area of the new airport will feature 180 check-in desks, 48 boarding gates and 26 baggage reclaim carousels.

AIRLINES OPERATING OUT OF TERMINAL 3 INCLUDE: AIGLE AZUR, LUFTHANSA, AIR BERLIN LUXAIR, AIR EUROPA, MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES, AIR FINLAND, NIKI, AIR NOSTRUM, NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLE, ARKEFLY, PRIMERA AIR, BRITISH AIRWAYS, REGIONAL, BRUSSELS AIRLINES, SAS SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES, CIMBER STERLING, SPANAIR, CONDOR, SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES, DELTA AIRLINES, PORTUGAL, EUROPE AIRPOST, THOMAS COOK BELGIUM, FINNAIR, TRANSAVIA.COM, GERMANWINGS, TRAVEL SERVICE, IBERIA, TUIFLY, INAER & VUELING.