The letter sent by Qatari Diar to the state privatization fund TAIPED last Tuesday was polite but firm: The subsidiary of state firm Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) would not be continuing with its bid for the development of the old airport at Elliniko, confirming the fund’s greatest fears despite a succession of meetings held in recent weeks in Doha and in Athens with Qatari Diar officials.
But the damage had been done earlier as the main reason why the Qataris abandoned the Elliniko project was that they had been told when they first initiated talks under the George Papandreou government that the deal to develop the plot could be made bilaterally between the two states. “The Arabs,” said an industry insider, “are not familiar with tender procedures. They do not like competition. They prefer contacting political leaders directly – as happened with the PASOK government [at the time] – and seal the deal orally.”
ekathimerini.com | Broken promises, tough terms lead Qatar to drop Elliniko bid
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