Sports Cities International launches $5bn project in Tunis

Sports Cities International, a Bukhatir Group Company, yesterday announced the launch of $5 billion (Dh18.3bn) Tunis Sports City, which it expects to complete by 2025.

Located in the Lac de Tunis area in the northern suburbs of Tunis, the sports city will cover an area of 256 hectares and will comprise a Professional Golfers' Association approved 18-hole golf course, PGA gold academy, sports clubs, clinics and other academies as well as residential, commercial and leisure facilities.

"We at Sport Cities International are delighted to enter this exciting new market, and are grateful to the Tunisian Government for their confidence in us, lending their support and enabling our vision for Tunisia," said Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, Chairman, Bukhatir Group, in a press statement.

"This is definitely a great time to invest in North Africa. The region has remained unaffected by the global crisis and continues to prosper, particularly in the areas of tourism and real estate," he added.

Cedar, a residential golfing community and phase one of the project, will be spread across 13 hectares. It will consists of eight high-rise apartment buildings, 73 standard and grand villas, and four blocks of low-rise luxury residences. "We have booked 125 apartments in Burj Almasa tower. There has been an active interest from Tunisians in the project. We plan to market the project in Libya, Algeria and Europe," said Luciano Paolo Crosetta, CEO-International, Sports Cities International.

A light metro line is planned to cross the entire development and will connect to the present La Marsa – Tunis main line. There will also be adequate bus links to the centre of town and to other suburbs in Tunis.

The construction of the sports city will commence in the last quarter of 2009. The first tower will be completed in December 2012 while the entire Cedar will be completed in 2015. The new city will house more than 30,000 residents and create more than 20,000 job opportunities.

To help promote an active and participating lifestyle and ensure the sound development of world-class athletes, the city has signed agreements with several international institutes and sports clubs such as Olympique de Marseille and the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) to oversee the sports academies.

"We have a vision of positively impacting individuals, communities and nations globally by bringing them together through the activity of sport, cultivating economic opportunity and promoting human development," said Crosetta.

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