Saudi Prince Talks With
Arias About Increasing
Investments in Costa
Rica
The Prince of Saudi
Arabia, Al-Waleed bin
Talal, took time out of
his vacation at the Four
Seasons hotel in the
Golfo de Papagayo, to
travel to San José to
meet with Costa Rican
president, Oscar Arias,
to discuss possible
investments in the
country.
The Saudi Prince is one
of the richest man in
the world and has
investments in the Fours
Seasons hotel chain and
the Citigroup, which is
expanding its activities
in Costa Rica.
Arias said that he and
the Prince discussed the
possibility of making
investments in tourism
in the country in
addition to his holdings
in the Fours Seasons and
Citigroup.
"I am honoured to have
been able to meet with
the president and Nobel
Peace prize winner,
Oscar Arias. I gave the
president a brief
summary of what we have
done in Papagayo,
specifically at the Four
Seasons, were I am the
single largest
shareholder. We spoke
about the possibility of
opening two hotels in
the Papagayo area and
banking investments
through Citigroup", said
the Saudi Prince.
The Prince emphasized
that Arias has placed
Costa Rica on the map as
far as investments for
its democratic process
and stable political and
economic policies, which
allows investors
confidence to make more
investments in the
country.
The Prince also
emphasized that his
welcome had been very
heartwarming from the
first moment he set foot
at the Daniel Oduber
(Liberia) international
airport.
"The reception I have
received from the Costa
Rican people has been
very warm. We have heard
much about Costa Rica
and Arias. I am very
pleased to be sharing
words with a Nobel Peace
price winner", said Al-Waleed
bin Talal.
The Saudi Prince said
that he his making a
tour of Central American
countries to study
possible future
investments in the
region, primarily in the
tourism sector, and
Costa Rica heads the
list.
The Saudi Prince has
already visited the
Dominican Republic and
Panama and is headed for
Guatemala after he wraps
up his visit in Costa
Rica today.
The original location of
the meeting between Al-Waleed
bin Talal and Arias was
to have been at the
Arias home in Rohrmoser,
where commonly Arias
greets his guests.
However, without
explanation the meeting
between Arias and the
Saudi Prince took place
at Casa Presidencial in
Zapote.
And in typical "Tico"
fashion the meeting
began a half hour late,
though it was the Prince
that arrived late. The
meeting lasted 35
minutes.
The Saudi Prince and his
entourage made up of
seven Toyota SUV's was
escorted from the
airport by the Policía
del Tránsito, for the
meeting with president
Arias, the ministro de
la Presidencia, Rodrigo
Arias, and a number of
high ranking government
officials and ministers.
The Saudi Prince dressed
for the meeting
informally, in beige
pants and blue and white
striped short sleeved
shirt.
The Prince is
accompanied in Costa
Rica by some 49 people,
including entertainers,
cooks and a number of
his wives. Though it is
not clear as to many
wives the Prince
actually has, 7, 20,
100... well, one thing
is for sure, he has a
harem. |
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