16, March 2015: According to BusinessInsider the capital of Serbia, Belgrade is about to become a new place for the super-rich people alongside with Panama City, Addis Ababa, and Yangon. Global real estate consultancy Knight Frank predicted Belgrade could in next 10 years become global financial capital supporting claim with fact that Belgrade saw a steady 12% rise in its population of high-net-worth people from 2007 to 2014. Knight Frank expect the number of super-rich people in Belgrade is expected to grow by 72% over the next decade.
However, having in mind that Serbia is still in the group of underdeveloped countries outside European Union we asked Milos Kraguljac, from RentApartmani Beograd how and why is this going to happen.
“Government in Belgrade set political agenda in direction of EU integrations. But, it is no secret we are struggling in many areas as a country at this moment.
However, Belgrade was always the main center of the south-east Europe, a European New York as they call it. I suppose Knight Frank gave their estimations based on the rumor that super-rich investors from UAE are planning to invest huge amounts of money in some projects in Belgrade and Serbia as well.
Etihad already bought Serbian airline company, former JAT, and they started to make profit. Mirabank from the Royal group will get in few days banking license and open their first office in Belgrade.
The main projects UAE investors are about to begin is the project “Belgrade Waterfront”. There’s a lot of debate in Serbia about that issue. Officials claim investors are going to invest about three to four billion dollars. If something of that happens that could be a bait for rich people from all over the world as well for investors.
I would say money goes where money exists. “ Kraguljac concluded.
