French Polynesia's former president Gaston Flosse says he has signed an agreement with an investor in the United Arab Emirates who is poised to fund billions of dollars worth of projects in Tahiti.
Gaston Flosse Photo: AFP
Flosse, who lost office because of a corruption conviction four years ago, made the announcement to the media in Papeete after returning from Abu Dhabi where he said he had two days of discussions with the head of an investment company, Al Manhal.
He said Al Manhal had already been in touch with the French Polynesian government in 2016 but its approach to help build the multi-billion dollar Mahana Beach project in Tahiti was ignored which Flosse said had been interpreted as an insult.
Flosse said the company, which according to him is worth about a trillion US dollars, wants to invest to help French Polynesians and will sign a contract with the government once his Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party has regained power in this year's election.
However, he said the head of the company Suhail Al Dhaheri didn't want to involve himself in the election campaign, although he was aware that 150,000 people were now below the poverty level, with 55,000 of them being out of work.
The Mahana Beach project was launched by Flosse after his 2013 election victory as the South Pacific's biggest tourism venture ever but has since been downgraded.
Before Flosse's departure to the UAE, the French Polynesian government said there had never been any interest from any Arab developer.