The Economist reports on Arab investment in Bosnia, where tourism from Arab countries has been booming. Among investors is the Al-Shiddi Group who built the recently opened Sarajevo City mall. “In summer the mall is packed with Arab families,” the report says, “some of whom may be staying in the company’s alcohol-free Hotel Bristol." The Bristol was built in 1973 and was bombed out in the Balkans conflict. In 2010 it reopened after a full refurbishment by the Al-shiddi group, founded in 1975 in Saudi Arabia, who made it alcohol free, declaring: “The jewel of our hospitality industry is Hotel Bristol, the first international five-star hotel in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Contemporary design, stylish dining and state of the art meeting facilities, are all carefully planned to provide memorable and cheerful experiences for our guests.”
