The Hungarian government is poised to sign an agreement with the United Arab Emirates for the construction of an ambitious real estate complex in the capital, raising concerns from the city's mayor.
Budapest, the capital of Hungary © Mena Today
The Hungarian government is poised to sign an agreement with the United Arab Emirates for the construction of an ambitious real estate complex in the capital, raising concerns from the city's mayor.
The project aims to revamp a nearly abandoned railway station and its surroundings at a cost of €5 billion.
According to a document released late Thursday on the Hungarian government's website, authorities will sell the land, located not far from the city center, to a private entity selected by the UAE "without conducting a tender."
In return for this "major investment," Hungary commits to carrying out infrastructure work "amounting to at least €800 million."
The nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues his controversial endeavor of large-scale projects that alter the city's landscape, including its UNESCO-listed historic center.
In December, Construction Minister Janos Lazar defended the project, referring to it as "maxi-Dubai" in response to media headlines that called it "mini-Dubai."
He insisted that the result would not be mediocre and that it would be an "internationally acclaimed" project.
Senior UAE diplomat Lana Nusseibeh entered the race to become the next United Nations secretary-general on Wednesday, injecting a prominent Middle Eastern candidate into a contest that has struggled to produce a consensus choice among the Security Council’s most powerful members.
Turkey will submit to parliament a mandate allowing for military personnel to be deployed to Saudi Arabia under its joint defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, a lawmaker from the ruling AK Party told Reuters on Wednesday.
Israel has become a Pacific Islands Forum partner, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on X, describing the move as part of the country's broader effort to strengthen ties with the region.
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