Sandro Chetcuti, Chairman of the Property Malta Foundation, reveals how economic prosperity, an attractive tax regimen, and targeted incentives – including its Individual Investor Programme, which grants Maltese citizenship – are driving real estate investment into the small European nation.
What factors make Malta ideal for real estate investment?
Malta is a Republic island state, member of the Commonwealth of Nations and the European Union, that is presently undergoing unprecedented economic growth and
development in various sectors.
The country enjoys a temperate Mediterranean climate and has been voted to be amongst the safest in the world. Political stability and economic prosperity are attracting thousands of new residents annually, and in recent years, an attractive tax regimen and targeted incentives for specific sectors, as well as residence programmes for high net worth individuals have made Malta even more inviting. This is being reflected in the growing demand from international buyers for residential as well as commercial real estate acrossthe country.
What are your government’s plans when it comes to driving foreign real estate investment into Malta?
Historically Malta has always attracted foreign investment mainly directly or indirectly through its geographic location - tourism, international transhipment, ship repair, maritime and aviation services have flourished. More recently, international businesses in financial services, remote gaming and creative industries have been attracted to invest in Malta; and looking into the future, new areas such as cryptocurrencies and blockchain are now being developed.
The country offers various attractive incentives to foreigners, which have drawn tens of thousands of expatriates to settle in Malta over many years. In 2014, Malta introduced the Individual Investor Programme, which allows for the granting of Maltese citizenship to any foreign individuals and their families who contribute to the economic development of Malta and meet the requirements of the programme. These and many other incentives are driving foreign real estate investment into Malta like we’ve never seen before.
What are some of the most attractive real estate investment opportunities available to Middle East investors?
On the Malta Pavilion at Cityscape 2018, we are presenting four of the top estate agents in Malta who can introduce all kinds of properties in Malta and Gozo to interested
buyers. These are Ben Estates, Island Properties, Remax Alliance and Zanzi Homes. We are also showcasing some of the best opportunities in five major developments, namely:
DB Tower – Located in the Golden Mile, overlooking the Valletta skyline with magnificent views of the Mediterranean, the db Tower and its 162 luxury residences is set to be an
iconic statement in every sense.
Mercury Towers - a unique 31-storey Tower in St. Julians, designed by the internationally renowned Zaha Hadid Architects to mix historical with ultra-modern.
MIDI – The award winning Q2 waterfront apartments and The Centre, a new state-of-the-art office block forming part of Tigné Point in Sliema.
The Quad – An exciting development with four tower blocks of commercial floor space surrounding a central piazza located at Central Business District.
Townsquare - A luxury mixed-use development in the heart of Sliema – Malta’s prime location for business, shopping and living.
Our objective is to offer a comprehensive presentation of Malta and for this reason, apart from these property experts, we also have with us specialists on Malta’s Residence
and Visa Programme, from Wahaat and AMK Advocates. The Malta Pavilion at Cityscape is supported by the Malta Tourism Authority and the economic development agency Malta Enterprise, to offer support and advice on travel and tourism opportunities as well as doing business in Malta.