Tunisian government officials, led by Prime Minister Ali Larayedh, take a look along with other guests at a miniature model of Tunisia Financial House set to be built on a 523-hectare land in the country as the first world class offshore financial center in North Africa. — Courtesy photo Tunis Financial Harbour (TFH), the commercial gateway to North Africa, has announced its participation in Business & Finance Tunisia 2013, the premier investment forum in the country. The forum was attended by Tunisia Prime Minister Ali Larayedh, Minister of Development and International Cooperation Lamine Doghri, Economic and Social Affairs Minister Ridha Saidi, other government officials, diplomats and more than 500 local, regional and international investors, businessmen and media men. The high-profile event served as a platform to highlight investment opportunities across key sectors in Tunisia, which has seen major multinationals like Microsoft, Kia Motors and Qatar Telecom establish a local presence in recent years. It also aimed to create a forum for connecting investors from around the world with local partners. TFH, as one of country's landmark projects, featured prominently at the forum serving as an example of the considerable opportunities available in the country and also served as a model for co-operation between local and international investors in Tunisia. The $3 billion mixed-use development was launched in 2008 as joint venture between Bahrain based Gulf Finance House (GFH) and local investors seeking to create a financial services gateway at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa. Commenting on the event, Lotfi Ezzar, CEO of TFH, said: “Tunis Financial Harbour was among the key attractions of the forum and we're pleased to have had the opportunity to present the project to the Prime Minister, the invitees and new investors seeking opportunities in Tunisia as well as to emphasize the contributions TFH has and will continue to make in terms of attracting foreign investment into the country. "This is a critical time in Tunisia's growth and we are proud to be supporting the government's goal of further diversifying the economy and building on the country's strong foundations. We have put in place a comprehensive plan for TFH, which will see the project develop into a financial gateway connecting Europe, the Middle East and Africa and in turn help Tunisia emerge as a leading hub for commercial and leisure tourism.” Elias Karaan, Senior Executive Director of GFH (the project's sponsor bank), added: “We were delighted to have taken part in this event, which provided a showcase for innovative investment opportunities and projects such as TFH and more broadly the country itself. The forum highlighted Tunisia's unique geographic position, its highly skilled and educated work force and its strong pro-business policies and infrastructure. Importantly, it also served to underscore the Government's deep commitment to attracting and supporting greater foreign investment, as noted by attending officials, in order to drive growth and further development in the post-revolutionary period.” TFH, to be built across 523 hectares, aims to be the first world class offshore financial center in North Africa. This vision is supported by its strategic position on the Mediterranean just 25km north of Tunis and only 15km from Carthage International Airport. TFH's location and its infrastructure will offer easy access for skills, knowledge and investment capital to flow from within the region and from international markets into Tunisia and Africa. In addition to a business hub, TFH has been master-planned to serve as a modern urban environment where residents and their families can live and work. Once fully developed, TFH will feature residential and retail spaces, an 18 hole championship golf course, a beach community, souk, marina and shopping malls as well as a business university, which will together create 16,000 jobs and accommodate 110,000 residents. — SG
