Katara Hospitality and the Gambia sign Memorandum of Understanding

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by HE Mrs. Faton Mass Jobe-Nije, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of the Gambia, and HE Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani, Chairman of Katara Hospitality. The event took place at The Ritz-Carlton, Doha, on the 2nd of October 2012.

Under this MoU, the government of The Gambia offers Katara Hospitality a plot of land with an area of 18 hectares located in Bijilo Forest Park on the western African coast. Katara Hospitality commits to building here a hospitality complex that will contribute to the development of the tourism sector in the country.

"We welcome Katara Hospitality to the Gambia and we are confident that this investment in Bijilo Forest Park will contribute significantly to boosting the tourism sector not only in the area, but in the country," commented Mrs. Faton Mass Jobe -Nije.

"One of the main pillars of our strategic expansion is to invest in emerging markets. By committing to this agreement, our primary goal is to support the development of the local community, while sharing our expertise in the hospitality field and investing into creating a strong partnership and lasting value," says Sheikh Nawaf.

With a pleasant sub-tropical climate, sunshine and sandy beaches and a rich heritage, tourism is the fastest growing sector of the Gambian economy, accounting for about 12% of the country's Gross Domestic Product. Efforts at tourism diversification are currently directed to developing the MICE market, while elevating the eco-tourism, culture and heritage tourism as well as the sports and health tourism.