CLARK FREEPORT – Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will visit this Freeport today (March 27) to witness ceremonies renaming the 177-hectare Global Gateway Logistics City (GGLC) after him where a Kuwaiti investments are estimated to cost over $1 billion.
“We are honored that His Highness not only will grace us with his presence, but allow us to rename the project in his honor,” said Dennis Wright, president of Peregrine Development International Inc. (Peregrine).
Wright is a partner of the Global Gateway Development Corp. (GGDC) which is the corporate arm of the Kuwait and Gulf Link Holding Co. (KGL) in the Philippines which is developing the logistics city at the cost of over $1 billion.
Guy Hilbero, tourism officer of Mabacalat, Pampanga which covers part of the logistics area, said the Emir is expected to stay here for at least two hours.
The Emir is expected to be flown here at noon before finally leaving the country after a four-day state visit.
Wright said that henceforth, the logistics site would be known as The Sabah Al-Ahmad Global Gateway Logistics City.
Last January, the logistics group KGL committed to invest some $500 million in the Philippines, on top of its commitment to infuse $1 billion for the development of the logistics city here.
GGDC signed earlier a 50-year lease agreement with the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) on the 177-hectare logistics site, also to be devoted to aviation-related projects. It also has an agreement with the Medical City for the construction of 17,000-square-meter, state-of-the-art hospital in the area.
The Emir earlier met with Pres. Aquino whom he invited to visit his country. In a bilateral meeting last Friday, the Kuwaiti leader also his country and expressed interest to invest in Philippine infrastructure projects, particularly airports.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Al-Sabah told Aquino that he was open to the entry of a certain variety of rice from the Philippines in case Manila would become rice-sufficient and ready to export some of its supplies.
The logistics site named after the Emir is in the process of being developed.
Materials on the project said the site “will host business enterprises and operations with priority given to aviation and logistics related businesses, including but not limited to warehousing, distribution, transportation and related multi-nodal logistics; light industrial and manufacturing; administrative, management and business offices and complimentary commercial and retail operations that are present in and around major International Airports, Aviation Complexes and Aerotropolis.”
“Over 4,500,000 square meters of turn-key facilities, ranging from warehouses and light industrial facilities to modern office buildings and commercial and retail outlets are being design-built for direct lease to locators,” the material said.
