Qatari emir buys six Greek islands

ISTANBUL

Qatari Emir al-Thani has bought six privately owned Greek islands.

Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has bought six privately owned Greek islands in the Ionian Sea for a total of 8.4 million euros.

One of the wealthiest men in the world, the emir bought the isles in order to build palaces to please his 24 children and three wives, according to reports.

The tycoon initially bought the 5 million-square-meter Oxia island for 4.9 million euros, paying 3.5 million for rest of the islands, which total 1.6 million square meters in size.

Al-Thani completed the purchase after 18 months of ongoing legal procedures, but both the buyer and seller were reportedly happy with the deal.

“Even when you buy an island, even if you are the emir of Qatar, it takes a year-and-a-half for all the paperwork to go through,” Ioannis Kassianos, the mayor of the nearby island of Ithaca, recently told The Guardian.

The emir fell for the islands during a yacht tour to the area four years ago, according to reports.