Albania’s National Inspectorate for the Protection of Territory, IKMT, officially acknowledged on Wednesday serious structural problems in two buildings within the luxury “Durrës Yacht & Marina” project owned by Emirati investor Mohamed Alabbar. A special inspection found that the apartment blocks under construction had experienced uneven subsidence of up to 28 centimetres.
In a press statement, IKMT said it had established a joint inspection group following concerns raised over the “stability and safety” of the buildings. The group included IKMT inspectors, representatives of the Territorial Development Agency, the Durrës Municipality Inspectorate for the Protection of Territory, and specialists from the Institute of Construction.
The inspection focused on two residential and service buildings granted construction permits in September 2023 by the National Territorial Council, KKT. According to IKMT, the buildings — ranging from six to ten storeys above ground with underground parking facilities — are located in management zones A02 and A04, where construction has been completed and work is currently in the external finishing stage.
The findings of the topographic report prepared by the Institute of Construction, according to the IKMT statement, are alarming and confirm the allegations.
“At the conclusion of the inspection, the topographic report of the Institute of Construction confirmed that: Building 02, consisting of construction phases with 1, 6, 7 and 8 storeys above ground and one underground floor, had experienced subsidence of 28 cm; while Building 04, consisting of construction phases with 1, 6, 7, 8 and 10 storeys above ground and one underground floor, had experienced subsidence of 18 cm,” the statement said.
IKMT said it had formally requested the construction company to urgently intervene to reinforce the buildings.
“IKMT has formally addressed the project’s construction company, requesting the immediate implementation of the necessary technical reinforcement measures to guarantee the stability of the structures,” the statement said.
IKMT also clarified that any reinforcement project proposed by the construction company must, before implementation begins, be approved by the relevant legal authorities to ensure compliance with technical standards.
IKMT did not mention the reasons behind the subsidence. However, according to allegations first aired on the television programme “Piranjat” on Syri TV by whistleblowers and subcontractors working at the site — claims that preceded and prompted the IKMT inspection — the main cause of the sinking is linked to inadequate engineering measures in the foundations, as the port area consists of unstable sandy terrain.
The engineering problems affecting the new buildings are only the latest link in a chain of controversial developments surrounding the Port of Durrës.
The project was initially approved as a strategic investment in December 2021, with “Symphony Real Estate Development” LLC listed as the applicant. The Strategic Investments Committee later decided to transfer the “strategic investor” status to a specially created company composed of the public company “Albanian Seaports Development Company (ASDC)” and the private firm “Eagle Hills Real Estate Development”. Under the agreement signed in January 2023, the project — described by Prime Minister Edi Rama as the largest foreign investment in Albania — was expected to cost more than 2 billion euros.
At the same time, the development of the mega real estate project created the need to relocate commercial port operations, but the construction of a new port in the Porto Romano area has encountered difficulties following the failure of the tender for its construction.
