The Jordanian investors who plan to build the controversial university in Marsascala have not finalised any plans to invest in Spain, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.
The investors have not identified any Spanish location to implement their plans, despite claims made by Sadeen Group, as well as the Maltese government, that they have already decided to build their campus in Spain but changed their minds at the eleventh hour to come to Malta.
Hani Salah, chairman of the Sadeen Group, during the heads of agreement signing ceremony on May 5.“We have absolutely no knowledge of this investment,” a Spanish government spokesman told this newspaper.We are not saying this is not true but that we have no information on this investment.”
Asked to specify where in Spain the Sadeen Group was planning to build its American university, the Jordanian investors admitted that no area had yet been identified and that their architects were still “scouting”. The Sadeen Group said that since it has various vested interests in Spain, establishing the university project there was a natural choice.
Asked to say what stage the original investment in Spain had reached, a spokesman for the group said: “Discussions and actions with architects and other professionals in Spain were underway for site scouting and business model building. However, following a trip to Malta, and appreciating its economic and political stability, the location of Malta, the fact that it offers a very safe environment and its ever-increasing economic potential immediately made us at the Sadeen Group look at Malta more closely and analyse the potential of shifting our plans to your beautiful country,” the spokesman added.
The stability,location, very safe environment and economic potential made us look at Malta and analyse shifting to your beautiful country
Following the signing of the heads of agreement between the government and the Sadeen Group earlier this month, Taher Makbul – a representative of the Jordanian investors – showered praise on Prime Minister Joseph Muscat describing him “a very good salesman of Malta”.
Mr Makbul said the group had already decided to build the campus in Spain, “but Dr Muscat convinced us to come to Malta in just one minute.” The controversial €115 million project, which is earmarked for an outside development zone of virgin land in Żonqor Point, Marsascala, is expected to have five faculties catering for a maximum of 4,000 students.