Potential for development of Montenegro as competitive business destination presented in Dubai

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (10 November 2015) – Montenegro’s Minister of Tourism and Sustainable Development Branimir Gvozdenović and Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs Ivan Brajović participated in today’s Business Forum on Montenegro “Montenegro Now” in Dubai, where they presented representatives of relevant institutions, business sector and the media in the United Arab Emirates with Montenegro’s investment potentials in order to further enhance economic cooperation between the two countries, particularly with regard to development and investment projects.

The participants in the forum expressed great interest in current activities in the field of sustainable development of the destination, capital development projects in tourism and potentials for further development of Montenegro as a competitive business destination. Special attention was paid to the presentation of the current stimulating investment environment, as well as new measures in the field of construction of luxury hotels implemented by the Government of Montenegro.

The two ministers also presented Montenegro's major transport infrastructure projects, both those whose implementation is underway, and those planned, as well as the legal framework for establishing direct flights between Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates, and possible cooperation between the Montenegro Airlines and the airlines of the United Arab Emirates.

Ministers Gvozdenović and Brajović visited the Dubai fair of aircrafts and aircraft equipment, which brought together 1,100 exhibitors from 60 countries. They also visited the "Jabal Ali" port, the largest port in the world,  ranked eighth in the world in 2014 when it comes to the transportation through container terminal.

They also met with senior Vice President at the Jebel Free Authority Adil Zarooni for talks on exchanging experience in doing business in free zones, as well as on possible cooperation.

Ministers Gvozdenović and Brajović presented the capacities of the Port of Bar, as well as tourism potentials of Montenegro. They agreed on the need to open a direct airline between Montenegro and Dubai in order to attract investors from the Middle East to Montenegro.

Experience of Dubai shows the importance of infrastructure development as a precondition for the development of an investment and tourist destination. Good transport links by sea and air are of the greatest importance for the country's success on the world investment and tourist map, the Forum concluded.