(Reuters-MSNBC) Ali Sawafta - A building frenzy is transforming Ramallah's skyline and consolidating its position as the de facto Palestinian capital. Hotels and apartment blocks are rising - Ramallah's first five-star hotel, a Movenpick that dwarfs surrounding buildings, opened for business this month. A new presidential palace is under construction, and the PA is building a complex that will house seven ministries - the work is more than half complete. Work has also started on a new commercial district, the Ersal Center - a $400 million investment envisioned as becoming a center for Palestinian banking and trade. This month Abbas opened a new Ramallah headquarters for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). At the Nov. 23 opening ceremony, he said, "All of our sovereign headquarters are temporary. The time will come, God willing, to move all of them to Jerusalem."
2010-12-02 10:11:29Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive