
Mohamed Alabar, the Emirati investor behind the project of the redevelopment of the port of Durrës had a plan to build what was considered as “Zagreb’s Manhattan” in Croatia. Rama bragged with the fact, but it turned out to be a scam.
The media wrote that after a lot of pressure the agreement for the project became public, revealing that Zagreb’s Mayor Milan Bandic intended to give to the Emiratis everything, including the ownership of the most expensive land in the country, a similar scheme to that of the port of Durrës.
The strong reaction of the Croatian civil society and opposition led to the project’s annulment in 2020. It was mentioned is a victory in the Freedom House 2020 report.