Latest news with #UlissesCorreiaeSilva
Hospitality Net
14-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
RIU celebrates 20th Anniversary Gala in Cape Verde
On 29 April, RIU Hotels & Resorts celebrated its 20th Anniversary Gala, which commemorated the opening of its first hotel in Cape Verde on Sal Island in 2005: the Riu Funana. The ceremony was presided over by His Excellency Dr Ulisses Correia e Silva, Prime Minister of Cape Verde, along with other distinguished members of his government, and by Félix Casado, member of the RIU Board of Directors and Chief Operating Officer in Cape Verde. The Gala aimed to reflect the importance of Cape Verde for RIU, as well as to highlight the work of the past 20 years and the great link they have with the local community. For this, RIU presented 35 awards to its most renowned collaborators, suppliers and local organisations in the country. Over the past 20 years, RIU has witnessed and has been part of the country's great tourism evolution, becoming a top international destination. In addition, it has supported local talent and, as a result of training and career planning, Cabo Verde now has a large pool of professionals who today are leaders and trainers in other destinations. This was precisely one of the aspects that was highlighted by the Prime Minister in his words of congratulations to RIU with which the event was brought to a close. Dr Ulisses Correia e Silva praised the chain's business model, which supports the training of its workers and which cares about the well-being of the community. He also said that RIU has been an engine for tourism development and that much of the growth and professionalisation of the industry in the country has been thanks to the company's support. The event, held at the Riu Funana hotel on Sal Island, brought together nearly 150 attendees and was presented and led by the journalist Susana Rendall, who began by showing a commemorative video about the history of RIU in Cape Verde. Félix Casado, member of the RIU Board of Directors, gave an emotional speech in which he recounted RIU's beginnings in Cape Verde when, alongside Carlos Almeida, HR Director, they visited the local neighbourhoods to introduce the hotel manager and their project in order to hire the team from that first hotel. During his speech he expressed his appreciation, especially to his collaborators who have been able to demonstrate the value of Cape Verde, and showed his great affection for the country: Cape Verde is a destination that has changed us as a company. I'm not going to say it's been an easy journey. Especially [since] the beginning was full of challenges. Let me tell you all that your extraordinary 'morabeza' makes you unique and fortunately, we believe it has also touched the soul of RIU. The 35 awards presented during the Gala were distributed in four large recognition groups. The work of BIOS Cabo Verde and Associaçao Projeto Biodiversidade was highlighted in the category Environmental Project for the protection of the Caretta caretta turtle; Fundaçao DesBem was awarded for its work in health and childhood through the Children's Health Office of Sal Island; homage was paid to Carlos Almeida, Director of Human Resources for RIU in Cape Verde and the longest-standing employee in the chain in the country, for his key role in the development of the company in Cape Verde; and, finally, essential suppliers, local entrepreneurs and pioneers who have been with RIU since its beginnings in Cape Verde, were recognised. The awards were presented by Catalina Alemany, Director of Sustainability for RIU, Juan Carlos Dreher, Operations Officer for Cape Verde, Sergio Lobenstein, Operations Director for Cape Verde, Félix Casado and the Prime Minister of Cape Verde, His Excellency Dr Ulisses Correia e Silva. The evening also included a performance of Cape Verdean music and dance and concluded with the Prime Minister's speech, after which a dinner was provided for all the attendees with live music. The 20th Anniversary Gala was a celebration of work, overcoming challenges and an expression of deep appreciation for human relationships and closeness to the community. In addition, [it was] an opportunity to recognise the key people and players over these two decades. With this grand commemorative event, RIU celebrated in style. Twenty years ago, in 2005, RIU began its journey in Cape Verde and it is now one of its main international destinations with six hotels, more than 3,500 rooms and 3,120 local employees. For further information please visit: About RIU Hotels & Resorts The international RIU hotel chain was started in Mallorca, Spain, in 1953 as a small holiday business run by the Riu family, the founders and current owners, now in its third generation. The company specialises in holiday accommodation and over 74% of its establishments offer its renowned All Inclusive by RIU service. With the opening of its first city hotel in 2010, RIU expanded its product line with its own range of urban hotels under the name RIU Plaza. RIU Hotels & Resorts has 98 hotels in 21 countries, with a total of 38,055 employees that welcomed 6.7 million customers in 2024. RIU is currently the 40th largest chain in the world and fourth in Spain in terms of the number of rooms. For further information please visit: View source
Zawya
07-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Cabo Verde's Digital Transformation in full expansion with African Development Bank Support
Technology Park positioned to make Cabo Verde a global digital hub with world-class facilities AfDB President honored with Cabo Verde's highest public service award for a decade of transformative leadership Cabo Verde marked a significant milestone in its digital transformation journey on Monday, 5 May, with the official inauguration of TechPark CV ( a strategic infrastructure project backed by the African Development Bank Group ( The island nation's Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva and African Development Bank Group head Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, led the inauguration of the facility at a ceremony attended by hundreds of government officials, international partners, entrepreneurs, and academia. The celebration, held at TechPark CV's main campus in Praia, continued in Mindelo on Tuesday. The EUR 51.85 million project, developed in two phases with EUR 45.5 million in African Development Bank financing, has rapidly evolved from concept to a thriving technology center since operations began in November 2023. Within just 18 months, the park now hosts 23 companies from 7 countries, employs 311 young professionals, and has reached full occupancy of its 52 office spaces. Prime Minister Correia e Silva emphasized the park's world-class facilities: "The tech park is a good environment to connect startups and more mature companies. I have visited many tech parks around the world, and this one is not behind any of them. In fact, it is one of the best. With 311 professionals employed here across 23 companies serving international markets, and state-of-the-art infrastructure, this speaks directly to our vision of turning Cabo Verde into a Digital Island for the globe." He outlined two main objectives – the first, to position Cabo Verde as a digital hub for Africa and the rest of the world, exporting quality digital services, and the second, to create quality jobs and attract diaspora talents. He highlighted the fact of Cabo Verde's strong diaspora, which cannot be ignored, and the government's role in leveraging its skills to build and reinforce capabilities at the Tech Park. The Prime Minister added, "We also know that the state is an important economic agent. We can either facilitate or complicate it. So, we choose to facilitate, not complicate it. We would like to build a very solid foundation to sustain this digital ecosystem, reinforcing education and strengthening our informal economy with digital commerce and skills because we know that Digital is transversal." Dr. Adesina, who led a delegation from the African Development Bank Group to the event, highlighted the strategic importance of the technology park. "This is a great day for Cabo Verde, to celebrate the success of your vision to transform the country into a 'Cyber Island,' a digital hub, a digital gateway to West Africa -- an important digital hub to attract tech businesses from around the world. The future is very bright for innovative young entrepreneurs in Africa. This is driven by the rapid expansion of the digital economy, which will add $180 billion to Africa's GDP by 2025 and $712 billion by 2050," he said. "You had doubters, with some questioning the rationale of a small country like Cabo Verde having a technology park. Some even said this was going to be a white elephant project. But you were undaunted. You stayed true to your vision. Well, time has proven you right! The white elephant is running, full steam,' he added. The TechPark CV includes fully equipped facilities such as a Data Centre, Disaster Recovery Site, Business Center, Incubation Center, Civic Event Center, and Training and Qualification Center across its Praia and Mindelo campuses. Operating as a special economic zone, it offers tax exemptions on technology imports and income tax to attract companies. The park has expanded its training programs from 6 in 2023 to 50 in the first quarter of 2025, upskilling 2,769 people in cutting-edge fields such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, and software development. Since opening, the park's operational revenue has grown by more than 4,300%. The African Development Bank is the largest development partner in ICT in Cabo Verde through the Praia Technology Park, for which it has provided $57 million for Phases 1 and 2 project. The Bank's investment in Cabo Verde's Technology Park aligns with its Digital Transformation Action Plan, focusing on scaling inclusive digital infrastructure, investing in digital entrepreneurship and skills, and driving sectoral adoption of digitalization. During the ceremony Adesina was awarded Cabo Verde's highest public service medal in recognition of his decade of transformative leadership at the African Development Bank and his unwavering support for Cabo Verde's development initiatives. The three-day program will include panel discussions on digital transformation, workshops on emerging technologies, and a startup pitch competition, showcasing Cabo Verde's pioneering role in Africa's digital landscape. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB). Images : Contact: Natalie Nkembuh Communication and External Relations Department media@ About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information:
