DUSHANBE, November 11, 2009, Asia-Plus — On Tuesday November 10, Dushanbe Mayor Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev received Mr. Munir Merali, Resident Representative, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Tajikistan.
According to press service of the Dushanbe mayor’s office, the sides discussed the process of implementation of the AKDN projects in the Tajik capital.
Dushanbe mayor proposed to complete construction of the world-class Dushanbe Serena Hotel until the 2010 Navrouz holiday (Navrouz holiday is marked on March 21) and construct the Aga Khan residence in Dushanbe until the 20th anniversary of Tajikistan’s Independence, which will be marked on September 9, 2011.
For his part, Mr. Merali noted that the AKDN was ready to provide assistance with development of tourism in Dushanbe and attraction of investments for development of the city’s economy.
The Dushanbe Serena Hotel, a US$25million project whose 120 units will range from luxury rooms to long-stay apartments, will incorporate conference and shopping facilities, restaurants and a roof-top recreation centre and swimming pool. The hotel, to be managed by Tourism Promotion Services (a subsidiary of Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development) is being developed following a design from the award-winning architectural firm, ARCOP, a Montreal-based firm.
When completed, the Dushanbe Serena Hotel will join several Serena properties across the region to help strengthen tourism development in areas rich in cultural sites, physical attractions and economic opportunity. These include Serena units in Kabul, Afghanistan, and at Islamabad, Quetta, Faisalabad, Gilgit and Swat in Pakistan.
