The announcement by the Public Enterprise (PE) for coastal zone management inviting second-ranked bidders in the tender to finalize lease agreements for seven beaches on Velika Plaza has resolved months of uncertainty regarding who will manage a significant portion of this stunning South Adriatic beach for the next four years.

The Arab billionaire’s company, “Eagle Hills” led by Mohamed Alabara, which had submitted the highest bids for nine bathing sites, officially withdrew from seven of them on Thursday, June 12, just before the deadline for finalizing lease agreements with the PE.

According to “Vijesti”, the second-ranked bidders in the tender—current operators of the “Adriatica”, “Havana”, “Safari”, “Saranda”, “Hills”, “Coral”, and “Mykonos” beaches—were significantly affected by Alabara’s withdrawal, as they had to settle bank guarantees associated with his company’s bids, which were considerable.

The PE had previously stated that the bank guarantees from “Eagle Hills” for nine beaches on Velika Plaza amounted to 600,000 euros, with some guarantees reportedly exceeding 100,000 euros.

However, unconfirmed reports from “Vijesti” indicate that Alabara’s company has signed a lease agreement for “Tropikana” beach, marking one of the first officially registered leases since Morsko dobro began renting the coast.

The status of the ninth beach, “Imperial,” for which “Eagle Hills” had also made the highest bid, remains unclear, and it is unknown whether the Arab billionaire has abandoned it as well. According to prior reports from “Vijesti,” the bid from the second-ranked bidder was incomplete, preventing them from securing a lease with the PE in the event of “Eagle Hills” withdrawing.

In a mid-May interview with Newsmax Balkans television, Alabara admitted that he regretted applying for the beach lease, but provided his reasoning:

“I aimed to acquire a swimming area on Velika Plaza to demonstrate how this area could be developed,” the Arab investor explained at the time.

He also noted that following intense public backlash, he chose to return all the bathing areas that he had initially secured in a March tender.

“Morsko dobro” previously announced that bank guarantees for nine beaches total 600,000 euros.

A source from “Vijesti” indicated that the tenants, once contracts with the public company are finalized, will face a challenging road ahead:

“The process for obtaining a work permit is quite complex and will certainly not be quick.”

The Coastal District had previously informed “Vijesti” that the tender process was conducted legally and transparently, without submitting unrealistically high or fictitious bids.

“This fulfills all conditions so that, should the first-placed bidder withdraw, the contract can be smoothly concluded with the second-ranked participants. At the same time, the process of activating the bank guarantees submitted by ‘Eagle Hills’, totaling around 600,000 euros, will commence to safeguard public interests and ensure responsible state resource management.”

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