Who is behind Tbilisi Olympic village?

Chinese investor Mi Enhua, the president of Hualing Group, has become Georgia’s largest investor after investing $500 million USD to implement the Tbilisi Olympic Village project.

Today at the Olympic Village opening ceremony Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili thanked Enhua for the investments that the Chinese investor had spent in Georgia and called him a "distinguished investor”.

Since 2007 Mi Enkhua has spent $500 million USD in Georgia. This is the most important investment in our country. Last year, he was the largest investor of Georgia,” said Garibashvili.

The PM also thanked Enhua for building the Olympic village, which he called a "wonderful complex”. 

The village is a sprawling complex of nine apartment buildings, a five-star hotel, sport centre and recreational zone over 50 square kilometres.

The Olympic village for the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival – set to host 4000 athletes over a week of competition – was opened near Tbilisi Sea today. Photo from PM's Facebook page. 

In recent years Enhua has been honoured with different titles in his home country.

He has been honoured with titles of 'Excellent China Characteristic Socialism Builder of No-Public Owners' by the United Front Work Department of CCCPC, the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Personnel and China’s Administration for Industry and Commerce. Meanwhile, China's charity State Council awarded him with the ‘Patriot’ Award and Enhua occupied an honored place among 100 PRC’s Philanthropists. In 2005, he was named as a 'role model of labour relationships'. Enhua was also awarded the 'Honorary Charity Award' for outstanding charity activities and contribution to his homeland.

Today PM Garibashvili expressed readiness to support the Chinese investor’s activities in Georgia and promote implementation of other projects as well.

In return, Enhua spoke about the preferential investment environment of Georgia and thanked the country’s PM for supporting his investment projects.

Meanwhile, Alexi Akhvlediani from the Youth Olympic Festival Tbilisi 2015 Organising Committee believed the Festival would bring five times more income to Georgia.

It will cost $46 million USD to run the event and by our calculations, we are expecting a return of $212 million USD," Akhvlediani said.

The Festival is set to commence in Tbilisi on July 26 and involve nine sporting codes including judo, tennis, cycling and basketball.