The fifth most populated country in the world, where water is a fundamental cultural element. Pakistan is Crystal Lagoons® newest market. The multinational has entered with an exclusive Master Agreement to develop 15 Public Access Lagoons™, also known as PAL™, which can be accessed by the public via ticketed entry.
This latest development adds to a list of tremendously successful projects that Crystal Lagoons business model is currently experiencing around the world. In Pakistan, the U.S. water innovation multinational has partnered with ARY Group, the country’s main business holding, present in the Middle East, Europe and the U.S., and has businesses relating to the banking world, real estate, 12 TV channels that broadcast in more than 100 countries, gold production, retail, jewelry, among others.
The holdings owner, Salman Iqbal, is considered one of the world’s most influential Muslims and one of the most daring businessmen in the entertainment industry. He also owns Pakistan’s leading cricket team, sponsored by “ARY Laguna Karachi”, which will be Crystal Lagoons first project anchored by a crystalline lagoon in the country, to be developed in Karachi, the nation’s largest city, strategic seaport and financial capital.
Considered a major contract, these projects will be developed in Pakistan’s key cities, such as Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Multan, Sukkur and Larkana. Once operational, they will generate projected annual sales of more than US$ 550 million, with over 12 million visitors per year.
With Pakistan currently opening up to the world and increasingly adopting aspects of Western culture, urban infrastructure and entertainment alternatives, local development has become a key focus. For this reason, the ARY Group consortium identified PAL as a replicable and scalable model of urban entertainment, due the wide array of events they can host such as events, launches, fairs, food-halls, weddings, concerts, dayclubs, etc., all in an idyllic environment and with multiple stages and platforms, from beaches, peninsulas within illuminated lagoons, terraces, transparent domes, a wide range of gastronomic services, to retail units, beach clubs, amphitheaters and recreational and cultural activities.
“PAL transform any location into the most entertaining place in the city, significantly enhancing any urban environment and create beach life just steps away from people’s homes. These projects will change the way millions of people live in Pakistan’s largest cities, by bring a part of the ocean close to their homes. This, in turn, means they can cut out travelling by car or plane to go to the beach, with the subsequent positive environmental benefits this implies,” explains Felipe Baldwin, Global Business Director at Crystal Lagoons.
The Master PAL model has captivated prominent economic groups worldwide, generating an exponential increase in sales for Crystal Lagoons. Some of the licensing contracts that the company has signed in recent months include 16 lagoons in the U.S., 30 PAL in Korea, 30 lagoons in Mexico and 18 lagoons in Central America.
Additionally, the multinational is in advanced negotiations in Japan, South Africa, Australia, the Middle East, Israel, Italy, Spain, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Cambodia, Morocco and Peru, among others.
“Pakistan is a market with great potential for PAL projects due to its climate and population, among other factors. Much like an architect in England 200 years ago introduced a piece of the forest into the city of London creating urban parks, Crystal Lagoons is bringing the ocean to the heart of cities around the world. This is a very robust urban proposal, for which Crystal Lagoons is choosing the best partners around the world,” concludes Baldwin.
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