Mega entertainment development project holds first annual advisory board meeting

The Entertainment City Advisory Board, consisting of major international leaders from the entertainment industry, held its first workshop and meeting at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C.

ADIH announced the appointment of its Advisory Board in early February, for its landmark concept of mixed-use development that is planned to be implemented mainly in emerging markets. The first of these 'Entertainment Cities' is now being developed in Lusail, Qatar; Entertainment City - India is currently also on offer to investors.

The newly-formed Board consists of senior representatives from Six Flags, : Sony columbiaBMG AEG¡ Nokia, Coca-cola Entertainment, Rock & Roll hall of Fame, Intersports, Premier Exhibits, Global Entertainment, Vertex Productions, Walt Disney.
The board is chaired by Rashad Y. Janahi, CEO - ADIH.

The first meeting comprised a workshop, which included a briefing of Entertainment City as a concept, followed by a presentation on India Entertainment City and a discussion on implementation in China, North Africa as well as other emerging markets, in addition to the high potential of success of these projects. An exclusive gala dinner was held at the Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution to celebrate the kick-off meeting, and was attended by the advisory board members, senior ADIH executives, and diplomats, as well as VIP guests from the international entertainment and consultancy industries.

The formation of the Entertainment City Advisory Board was based on accessing a broad range of specialties in the entertainment industry's sub-segments with a special focus on family entertainment, including theme parks, movie studios, sports events, performances and exhibit companies, entertainment design and master planning firms, 'edutainment' museums, and entertainment and sports news companies.

"Our success at bringing together such a prominent group of international executives is also testament to the attractiveness of the development opportunities, based on which ADIH's portfolio has been largely created."

The high-profile brands which these companies represent are expected to positively contribute to the project's expected returns. In addition to soliciting invaluable expertise and input into the development of Entertainment Cities in the targeted markets and other markets that with research and due diligence prove to be appropriate markets for such a huge project, ADIH envisions that the involvement of these board members will further enhance customer reach and build an unparalleled value proposition wherever these Entertainment Cities get implemented.

On the sidelines of the Washington, D.C. workshop, Rashad Janahi, CEO ADIH and Chairman Entertainment City, said, "Today's meeting is a milestone achievement for ADIH as evidenced by the international companies that have joined us to be part of this important project.

Qatar Entertainment City
Qatar Entertainment City (QEC) is the first of the chain of 'Entertainment Cities', which is currently being developed in the Lusail, north of Doha - Qatar. The development covers an area of one million square meters and is situated at the waterfront, in Lusail, north of Doha - Qatar.

ADIH was established in 2005 as an investment company under the supervision

of the UAE Central Bank with a capitalization of $55m. The company's core business lines are corporate finance, real estate, asset management, investment placement and investment products. Today, ADIH's portfolio is diverse in terms of sectors, countries and products. With a current focus on large-scale infrastructure and real estate products, ADIH has embarked upon

major projects across the GCC, including Bahrain and Qatar, as well as several funds with a pan-Arab focus. Early this year, ADIH announced the successful exit of the Lagoon fund with a total of 30% Return on Investment, as well as, a successful partial exit of the Al Arabi fund.