Hanif Mohammed Khoda was emphatic in affirming that the group’s intention is not to “earn money and then disappear,” and guaranteed that, on the contrary, the idea is “to be here for a long time and work with the government and with Cape Verdeans” toward the development of the country.

Cesária Resort is a tourist and real-estate enterprise to be built near the coastal zones of Palha Carga and Calheta Grande on the island of São Vicente, covering a total area of some 1,309 hectares. The project will include more than 2,200 apartments, 1,700 villas, five hotels, a marina, a casino, golf courses, sports centers, commercial centers and spas.

“It’s a major enterprise that was born of a great dream. Now the hard work will begin - turning the dream into reality,” said the president of the Profile Group, who added that the investors’ objective is to make Cesária Resort “the largest resort ever built in Cape Verde” and to turn the country into “Africa’s biggest tourist destination.”

Hanif Mohammed Khoda also made a point of stressing that the Profile Group’s projects in Cape Verde will not be limited to the Cesária Resort, and said that investments projected for the next fifteen years will reach nearly 1.5 billion US dollars.

Khoda said he hoped Cape Verdeans would become very much involved in the implementation and management of the Cesária Resort, and challenged Cape Verdean society to “make its contribution” with the “expertise” of local young professionals.

Minister of the Economy, Growth and Competitiveness João Pereira Silva was also present at the ceremony, stressing its dimensions and future contribution to the development of Cape Verde.