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Orbán-close businessman to build the World Aquatics HQ in Budapest
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The World Aquatics will move to Budapest as a result of strong lobbying by the Orbán government. The International Swimming Federation, formerly known as FINA may move to the Láng-quarter, a planned residential area in the Hungarian capital. Láng-quarter is an investment of Russian-Hungarian billionaire Ruslan Rahimkulov, and it is located in the fancy 13. district.The project of a one billion euro urban quarter, including a two-hectare public park, on the site of the former Láng Machine Factory.
The new headquarters of World Aquatics (WA) – the governing body of water sports – was recently unveiled in Budapest in a colourful presentation – as Népszava reported. The short film showed buildings eerily resembling the old factory block, and the new modern buildings surrounding them, as the new headquarters of the WA. According to the presentation, the complex will also include loft offices, restaurants, VIP areas, swimming pools, diving towers, gyms and accommodation.
Read also: World Aquatics to relocate headquarters to Budapest
The government helps to bring the project to life
“The new centre will not focus on offices. When you walk through the doors of the new building, you won’t see the President’s office (…). You will see water. Accommodations, training rooms as close to the water as possible,” explained Hussain al-Musallam, the federation’s president.
However, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, said that the Hungarian government would make the site avaliable free of charge for 15 years and was prepared to grant tax breaks and suspend certain approval procedures.