Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the UAE with members of the Ukrainian delegation
Odessa company Kommersant in the mid-90's became known for the fact that the former began to engage in commercial and industrial real estate in Ukraine. Its founder and CEO Valery Lokaychuk visited Dubai as part of a delegation of Ukrainian businessmen in June this year. Valery Fedorovich kindly agreed to discuss the results of his visit with the correspondent of the "Business Emirates".
- Valery Fedorovich, what are your impressions of Dubai, meetings held?
- I came to Dubai from Vienna, where the international real estate exhibition Real Vienna was held. There we were just visitors, and here in Dubai, we met with representatives of DP World, a group we have known for many years. For this meeting, we prepared a presentation of the project for the construction of a container terminal in the deepest (16 meters) Black Sea port of Yuzhny.
With DP World we negotiated in 2004, when this project was only being developed. Then the project was done by us, and the American corporation Trans System. And this is the only project in the world where 132 hectares of private land are allocated for a container terminal, and 99 hectares for an oil terminal with a kilometer coast zone for the construction of a berth. I do not know what the negotiations will lead to at DP World, but it was interesting to talk with them again.
Our project was carried out taking into account the most innovative international technologies. In fact, a container terminal requires only 46 hectares of land, we are doing 132 hectares, so that the customs zone, free zone, ship repair, assembly, logistics and warehouses will be located there. In short, this project should become a benchmark in terms of world standards. We came here to find a partner with whom we can cooperate in the future.
- DP World as such a partner is not suitable?
- DP World took the port of Constanta in operational management in 2004, and if today Odessa starts its new container terminal, it will be 5 million containers per year, which is much higher than the turnover of Constanta and many other ports in the world. Therefore, almost every year we meet with DP World to observe their moods and what is happening. We have already received an offer from competitors DP World - the Singapore company ACDC. In addition, we are negotiating with other companies.
We informed DP World that by October we will announce a tender to find the port operator Vera, which will become our strategic partner and exercise overall leadership over the port's activities. We already have applications for loading the port by 300% (!). Such a number of companies have expressed their desire to be loaded with us. I think that the leadership of DP World should take a closer look at this trend.
- Returning to the UAE, what impressed you the most during the visit?
- Yes, a lot. And the scale of construction, including. This, given that the climate in the UAE is still quite heavy. In winter, more or less, and in the summer - very hot, and every tree should be watered constantly.
I was impressed by all the business meetings organized for us during this trip by the Ukrainian Trade Center in the countries of the Persian Gulf. We also discussed the issues of holding an international legal forum in the UAE, and bilateral economic and scientific cooperation, and many others.
It seems to me that an international legal forum, for example, will attract even more attention of the entire world public to the Arab Emirates. When we held such a forum in Beijing and was attended by more than twenty general prosecutors from around the world, it seems to me that China was the first to look at China as a rule-of-law state. The forum was held in two largest cities of the Middle Kingdom: three days in Beijing and three days in Shanghai. I think that China was then able to extract from the international event of this scale the maximum benefit and benefits for itself. The same can happen in the Emirates. This is a young state, rapidly advancing in its development, and status events of such rank will not damage it precisely. It seems to me that representatives of the UAE Foreign Ministry, with whom we met and communicated on this issue, took our proposal with great understanding. And if the forum is held in the capital of Abu Dhabi, and in Dubai, which develops tourism, trade, exchange activities and other spheres of business, this forum will receive a global response.
I know that the Emirates are now on the verge of signing an international agreement on free trade with Western Europe, followed by the signing of the same document with the United States. The legalization of these processes is in the zone of close attention of the World Association of Lawyers, of which I am a member. Of course, this is a non-governmental organization, but a professional club, but if the members of this club say: "Emirates are great, you can work here!", Then foreign investors will go here in incredible numbers and with big capitals. The conditions for investing here are simply gorgeous, thanks to the lack of money
"Kommersant" in the international dimension
Speaking figuratively, after the working visit to Dubai of the Ukrainian delegation, which included representatives of Odessa, these two cities will become closer. After all, the members of the delegation had not only a pleasant impression of their stay in the UAE - they returned with concrete plans for further cooperation.
Emirates are primarily interested in the following areas of activity:
Energy, in particular, the oil and gas complex, the development of hydrocarbon deposits on the Black Sea shelf;
Communication and telecommunication systems, participation in the privatization of Ukrtelecom; Logistics and transport, construction and reconstruction of transport and logistics systems, sea freight terminals and airports;
Development of tourism infrastructure, construction of hotels and highways, participation in the preparation of the facilities of the European Football Championship 2012;
Realization of high technology projects related to the development of outer space, improvement of the environment, desalination of water;
Scientific research, training and exchange of student groups.
Rapidly developing in recent years, real estate markets in the UAE and Ukraine are of interest for both Emirates and Ukrainian investors. On the other hand, the UAE has developed a successful experience in many areas, which can be useful for Ukraine:
Creation of effective free economic zones and technoparks;
Practice of urban infrastructure development, civil and transport construction;
Modern passenger transport systems (monorail metro and other projects);
Development of the industry of leisure and tourism;
Work on improving the investment attractiveness of the country and exchanging investments.
If at the interstate level, cooperation is carried out through the Ukrainian Embassy in the UAE, the Ukrainian Trade Center in Dubai, then business ties have not yet reached the level corresponding to the potentials of both countries. Therefore, the visit of representatives of Ukrainian business to the UAE was so important: the more points of contact, the greater the turnover between countries. The next city in Ukraine, which established business ties with Dubai at the level of specific companies, was Odessa, namely, the law firm Kommersant.
"Our company is the same age as independent Ukraine: it was registered on August 15, 1991 a week before the proclamation of the country's independence," says Valery Lokaychuk, president of Kommersant. "Experience and experience in business structures and government bodies, irreproachable reputation and image of the company allow our clients to achieve their goals quickly and efficiently: be they purchasing office or production and warehouse premises, creating a network of shops, restaurants or hotels."
New opportunities for investors represent the emerging land market in Ukraine. In this sector, Kommersant effectively works with Ukrainian and foreign capital. Agriculture, transport, logistics, production, recreation and tourism are far from being a complete list of topics for the projects of the Odessa company.
"Kommersant" attracted the best specialists to work, and, if necessary, invites experts of the highest level. The company signed memorandums, protocols and agreements on cooperation with various state and international structures, including the State Property Fund of Ukraine for expert assessment and provision of services for preparing facilities for privatization.
"Cooperation with Kommersant for the client is always effective and profitable," continues the story of his company Valery Lokaychuk. - Among the clients of Kommersant are people well known in the world of business, politics and economy. We value the trust of each of them and value our reputation. "
Kommersant is an active participant in international exhibitions InterTransPort, Real Estate and Investments, International Forum of Investments and Innovations in Odessa, Real Vienna 2007.
The firm "Kommersant" carries out legal and consulting support of investments in Ukraine. The company database includes interesting offers for investments, purchase and sale of business and commercial real estate.
[Port Vera] From the proposals of Kommersant for investors:
Industrial site in the central part of Odessa: a land plot of 65 hectares with industrial buildings, facilities and engineering networks on the Black Sea coast for a large investment project (investing $ 200 million, it is advisable to re-profiling).
A Industrial site in the central part of Odessa: a land plot of 4.6 hectares with industrial buildings, facilities and engineering networks on the Black Sea coast. Near the park and beach (investing $ 20 million, conversion to a recreation area, shopping and entertainment center).
The monumental building is 6300 sq. M. m for a club, a casino, a bank in the historic center of Odessa, a land plot of 0.3 hectares, all communications (investing $ 20 million).
In a 1.17 hectare site with a berth for small vessels on the Black Sea coast in Odessa, private property, on the facade - a sandy beach. It is proposed for the construction of a hotel (boarding house), the cost - $ 7.2 million.
Gproekt building 5-9 storey residential complex with a total area of 13 thousand square meters. m with an underground garage of 2400 sq. m. in the center of Odessa (Bolshaya Arnautskaya street), the cost is EUR 6 million.
One of the projects of Kommersant, which deserves special attention, was discussed with the Dubai port companies. DP WORLD Vice-President, Mr. Matthew Leach, got acquainted with the Port Vera investment project. This project provides for the construction of a container terminal on the eastern shore of the Maly Adzhalyk Estuary (northwestern part of the Black Sea), which is the deepest in the Black Sea - its depth is 16 m.
Liman is located in the water area of one of the largest sea ports of Ukraine - "Southern". The distance to Odessa is 35 km.
The Port Vera project envisages the construction of a new private sea complex for the transshipment of containerized cargo, as well as the handling of general wheeled goods (cars, metal, equipment). The project also plans to build a mooring front with a length of 950 m and a depth of 16 m. Approximate throughput capacity