Costa Rica

160,000 Species Threatened



According to recent studies, world temperatures would rise by 3 degrees centigrade in the next 90 years and the sea level would do so by 1 metre in the same period.

This poses a death threat on 30 percent of the species in Costa Rica, meaning that 160,000 species of plants and animals would die.

Many of the amphibians, corals, and reptiles would not survive such an increase in temperature.

The environment would suffer major changes and the natural views of Costa Rica as we enjoy them now would be unknown to future generations.

According to a biologist Ana Fonseca, from the University of Costa Rica, corals are currently living at the top temperature in which they can do so – 28 degrees centigrade – and an additional degree would mean the end for 50 percent to 82 percent of them.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 10:43 AM    

Costa Rica Private Schools



A study by the Ministerio de Economía y Comercio (MEIC) - Consumer and economy ministry - reveals that private schools charge a fortune while the quality of education is less than expected, according to MEIC vice-minister, Jorge Woodbridge.

The study compared private schools during the months of July and the first two weeks of this month.

"The study was carried out because during the coming months private school registrations will commence. Notwithstanding that we asked all the private colleges to provide information, only 80 responded to our survey", said Woodbridge.

Currently there a total of 656 colleges in the country of which 481 are public and 164 private and 11 "semi-private".

According to the vice-minister, education is one of the more important pillars of society and as such felt the need to carry out such a study, in this way families can be guided more clearly in making the decision as to which school to send their children.

The vice-minister added that the study also serves as way for educational centres to analyze their competitivity and offer better conditions to consumers.

The vice-minister explained that for the Ministerio de Educación Pública (MEP) - public education ministry - the "bachillerato" is the best indicator on the quality of education in the schools. Based on that perspective, out of the 10 best schools in the country, only 2 are private and the other 8 are public.

The study also compared the costs of education at the private schools. Of the top 12 most expensive Country Day School that charges ¢498.160.000 (us$965) monthly heads the list, compared to Colegio SEIN, 12th on the list, that charges ¢169.000 (us$327) monthly.

The other factor taken into consideration is the number of students in each class, as a smaller class size can mean more attention given to each student. With that in mind of the dozen private schools with the smaller class size, the Colegio Bendito Jesús and Colegio Europeo had a maximum of 6 students per class, while the maximimim number of students at West College, Saint John Baptist and Mont Berkely, was 13.

The study also revealed that a number of private colleges do not have the necessary authorization by the Ministerio de Educación Pública (MEP). Woodridge added that the MEIC study will be sent to the MEP so that it can take action.

The 12 most expensive private schools:

1- Country Day School ¢498.160.00
2- Colegio Panamericano ¢375.254,00
3- Colegio Lincoln ¢327.534,00
4- Colegio Europeo ¢323.400,00
5- Colegio Británico ¢317.720,00
6- Instituto Jaim Weizman ¢301.200,00
7- Colegio Inter SEK ¢284.817,00
8- Saint Mary Schol ¢245.600,00
9- ILLPAL ¢194.400,00
10- Colegio West College ¢187.700,00
11- Royal Schoo ¢173.000,00
12- Sec. Integral SEIN ¢169.000,00

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 10:39 AM    

Progressive approach against crime in Costa Rica



The much heralded national plan against violence turned out to be softer and gentler than anticipated Thursday.

The plan emphasizes prevention and targets juvenile gangs, some of which are soccer fans.

Laura Chinchilla, the first vice president and minister of Justica y Gracia, headed the group that designed the plan. Casa Presidencial called the proposal ambitious.

The plan calls for the development of community networks as preventative measures against criminality. It calls for an alliance between government and civil society.

"During the last political campaign I was very clear in telling Costa Ricans that in my government we would be hard with criminality, but harder still with the causes of criminality," said President Óscar Arias Sánchez, who also attended the presentation in the Museo de los Niños. "This is the best explanation for the existence of this plan," he added.

The central government plan takes a different approach than the one espoused by Fernando Berrocal, the security minister. Berrocal has been encouraging the forces under his supervision to round up known criminals. Police have conducted early morning sweeps to grab those who have outstanding warrants, and they have cleared out informal settlements in overgrown lots.

The Berrocal effort appears to have worked because street crime in San José appears to be down.

Arias has promised to add 4,000 police to the Fuerza Pública over the next four years and appears to be on course to do that. The executive branch does not control the courts or the Judicial Investigating Organization, which is an element of the courts. Many of the complaints about weak sentences, long delays in trials and inept investigations involve agencies supervised by nation's Corte Suprema de Justicia. This includes the Ministerio Público, the prosecutorial branch.

The overall plan seeks to integrate a series of other national plans, including those against drugs, against sexual exploitation of minors, against violence and for road safety.

Arias proposed cultural events, sports and social events for youngsters at risk of becoming involved with gangs and crime. He also agreed that community involvement was important.

The president also took a shot at those who would provoke violence in the street over the free trade treaty.

Vice President chinchilla said that crime had increased 121 percent from 1990 to 2005 and that
72 percent of the Costa Ricans fear street robberies. The situation has not gotten better even with increased criminal penalties, she said.

She estimated that there were 25 juvenile gangs with about 350 members, including some considered groups of soccer fans. She said that a pilot program targeting juvenile gang members with alternatives like jobs and sports had worked in Quepos. She said crime reports by tourists there declined 25 percent from 2005 to 2006.

Discussion of crimes in Costa Rica is handicapped because many victims, including tourists, do not file reports.

Vice President Chinchilla said that juvenile gangs here still are not linked to gangs that are in the United States and other Central American states.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 10:35 AM    

Buy Safe Costa Rica Changes The Way You Find Real Estate in Costa Rica



Buy Safe Costa Rica launches its new state-of-the-art Costa Rica real estate website to help people all over the world buy or rent homes in Costa Rica safely and at the best prices.

Buy Safe Costa Rica is not a real estate company. It is a company that promotes trustworthy brokers or owners and matches them up with potential buyers or renters in one easy to use website. At Buy Safe Costa Rica you can search for property for sale or rental property in Costa Rica with a few short clicks. The simple to use search feature allows you to target the perfect home or piece of land in your desired price range and budget every time.

“I love the country of Costa Rica and to be able to provide a quality service to the thousands of people who want to live or travel to Costa Rica is very rewarding,” commented Ryan Huett, the owner of Buy Safe Costa Rica.

The website is full of easy to use features to find homes for sale in Costa Rica a free members area that allows someone to save properties to the favorites and compare them to other homes in their region and budget side by side.

Also, owners and brokers of property in the country of Costa Rica are able to upload their listings in just a few simple clicks including photos and descriptions of the property to begin reaching thousands of potential customers globally on the Internet.

The new website is also full of other valuable information and articles about the country of Costa Rica for anyone wanting to travel to that area. You can learn about the people, the regions, the beaches, the animals and many other interesting facts.

“The fact that I purchased and built a home in Costa Rica, and I have a real estate license in the United States, has allowed me to be a great asset to anyone who is not familiar or comfortable with the process of buying or renting in the wonderful country of Costa Rica. The Buy Safe Costa Rica mission is to change the way people search, find and ultimately buy and rent real estate in Costa Rica.” Ryan remarked.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 12:57 PM    

Arias administration to reveal its anti-crime proposal



The Arias administration is presenting today its national plan to prevent violence and promote the social peace.

The plan is the work of Laura Chinchilla, vice president and minister of Justicia y Gracia, and a committee.

A Casa Presidencial release said that the plan will complement control and sanctions that are already in place in the country and propose a series of actions that will make the fight against organized crime more efficient. Juvenile gangs and drug cartels are the dominant forms of organized crime.

Óscar Arias Sánchez, the president, is expected to attend the presentation in the Museo de los Niños.

Vice President Chinchilla was tapped to address the crime issues in May. She said then that the survey firm Demoscopía had done a study of juvenile gangs in the country and found that an urgent intervention was needed. She said that the data shows single-family homes in poverty generated juvenile gang members, as did drug use.

She said the government would come up with some kind of anti-drug plan in three weeks. But it has not done so up to now.

In fact, the Arias administration was going to present three measures to the legislature to deal with crime, but these appear to be some of the items stalled by the gridlock over the free trade agreement.

In addition to a measure against organized crime, the administration was going to provide a plan to protect witnesses.

Politicians and many Costa Ricans were shocked to learn in late June that hired killers from Colombia entered the country with the goal of killing Rodrigo Arias, the president's brother, and Fernando Berrocal, the security minister. That was what police officials said when they arrested some of the men.

Costa Rican officials deported five Colombians around July 1. They said the men were planning to kill Rodrigo Arias, the minister of the Presidencia, and the security minister because of their anti-drug activities.

The Arias administration, through unidentified sources, said that Colombian drug lords sent the men to avenge the confiscation of shipments involving some 400 tons of cocaine since last August.

The bulk of these drug shipments were snagged by the U.S. Coast Guard operating with Costa Rican officials.

The information that came into official hands was from telephone intercepts.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 12:54 PM    

Mothers Celebrate Their Day Working



Although today is Mother's Day in Costa Rica, the majority of mothers will spend the day, for the second year in a row, working instead of spending the day with family.

The move to bring back the Mother's Day celebration on the day it falls did not make it in time for year, as the legislation got bogged down in the slow process of the Legislative Assembly. However, for 2008. Mother's Day is expected to return to its natural day.

Although today is a normal working day, many have chosen to take the day off to honour the traditional celebration.

Although, banks, businesses, retail stores, etc. are all open today though many will be short staffed and business activity is expected to be slow.

The only businesses expected to be very busy today are restaurants and florists.

In many corners of downtown San José last night flower vendors worked into the night meeting the demand expected for Mother's Day.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 10:42 AM    

Costa Rica's Mayors Back Free Trade Agreement



Costa Rica's mayors submitted a joint letter to President Oscar Arias Tuesday supporting the free trade agreement with the United States.

The agreement, known locally as the Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC ) - the Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) - will boost trade and improve living standards in Costa Rica, said the letter sent by a delegation representing 73 of Costa Rica's 81 mayors.

The TLC has been ratified by the legislatures of all the signatory nations except for Costa Rica, which will hold a referendum on the agreement on Oct. 7.

In the letter, the mayors listed five proposals and two programs which aim to raise the income of Costa Ricans, promote greater social justice and improve wealth distribution.

San José Mayor Johnny Araya said the agreement is a good thing and called on Costa Ricans to ratify the treaty in the referendum.

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias has already sent a bill to the legislative assembly allowing the transfer of 10 percent of the nation's budget to local government.

At a meeting with the mayors, Arias said that the free trade agreement is necessary but not enough.

"The agreement does not replace the investment we are making in improving public education, but does allow that effort to translate into better opportunities for young people," Arias said.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 10:41 AM    

Chinese delegation in Costa Rica with goals of diplomacy and commerce



Chinese diplomats and merchants are coming to Costa Rica for a six-day visit beginning Tuesday. This is the first delegation from the People's Republic and takes place because Costa Rica dropped its recognition of Taiwan in favor of mainland China June 1.

The visit will include forums and seminars on commerce and investments here as well as an exposition of commercial products from China.

With the delegation will be Wang Xiaoyuan, the Chinese ambassador to Costa Rica. The delegation will be headed by He Yafei, a ranking minister in the nation's foreign ministry. Aug. 23 the delegation will participate in inaugurating the new embassy of the People's Republic here.

Meanwhile, Costa Rican executive branch officials said that some $50 million will be included for municipalities in the national budget for 2008 with the understanding that the People's Republic will donate that amount.

The country lost donations when it cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and officials expect that mainland china will make up the difference. and then some. Some of that will be agreed to formally when the delegation visits here next week.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 10:35 AM    

China to hold its 1st trade expo in Costa Rica



The Chinese Council for International Commerce will organize trade exposition in Costa Rica on August 22-25, the Chinese embassy in San José revealed to the media.

It will be the first trade fair since the two countries established full diplomatic relations on Jun. 7.

30 companies from various parts of China will exhibit their products.

In 2006, bilateral trade between the two nations exceeded us$2.1 billion, which made China become Costa Rica's second-largest trade partner, following the United States.

Costa Rica's Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno told the media earlier that a diplomatic relationship with Beijing will boost cooperation and draw Chinese investment to Costa Rica, describing China as "the biggest market in the world and an economy with vigorous growth."

Costa Rica's President Oscar Arias is preparing his first official visit to China which will include some bilateral agreements, Stagno added.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 10:07 AM    

Saudi Prince considers more hotels for Papagayo



Saudi investor Al-Waleed bin Talal Alsaud helicoptered into San José from his Guanacaste vacation spot to meet with President Óscar Arias Sánchez Monday. The meeting was quietly relocated from the Arias Rohrmoser home to Casa Presidencial.

An Arias press release said that the man, one of the world's richest, was considering more hotel investments in Costa Rica. He has a 20 percent stake in the Four Seasons group where he is staying as well as other hotel properties around the world.

The release said that Costa Rica had an appropriate democratic system and political stability. His country is an absolute monarchy. Al-Waleed said that he might open two hotels more in Papagayo and suggested the Fairmont chain and Raffles, as well as the possibility of putting four to six hotels elsewhere. Papagayo is a government project directed by the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 10:04 AM    

Rental car prices in Costa Rica



Rental car rates can vary by as much as $23 a day for economy vehicles and as much as $48 a day for all-terrain vehicles, according to the economics ministry.

In one of the ministry's consumer studies, employees went looking for rental cars in the greater metropolitan area two days in July. In addition to price variances from 49 to 57 percent, they also reported that only four of the 14 firms studied complied with a law requiring keeping public vital consumer information.

For example, two companies did not have signs showing the rates for various types of vehicles and eight companies did not display the money exchange rate for the day.

And just one had signs in a language other than Spanish, said the ministry.

The Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio conducts periodic surveys of compliance in a number of industries. It also maintains a consumer complaint bureau.

The surveyors fond that the price of an economy car like a Nissan Sentra or a Toyota Yaris ranged from $40 to $62.95 a day. That included basic insurance. The most inexpensive firm was Mapache and the most expensive was Dollar Rent a Car. To rent a 4x4, Economy charged $98 a day and National charged $146.35.

Jorge Woodruff, a vice minister, reminded shoppers that cars rented at airports usually carry a 12 percent surcharge.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 10:03 AM    

Saudia Arabian Prince Vacationing in Costa Rica



The Prince of Saudi Arabia and one of the richest men in the world Alwaleed bin Talal is in Costa Rica vacationing at the Four Seasons Resort in the northwestern Guanacaste province, according to the daily La Nación.

The 52-year-old prince, who is a shareholder in the hotel, arrived Saturday night at Daniel Oduber International Airport, in the Guanacaste city of Liberia. His massive Boeing 747 plane came from Panama, his previous stop on a trip that also included the Dominican Republic and will continue in Guatemala when he leaves Costa Rica Tuesday.

Today he is scheduled to meet with President Oscar Arias, La Nación reported.

This billionaire received extra special treatment upon arriving at Daniel Oduber. He was saved the trouble of waiting in line at Immigration by having documents delivered to him to fill out inside the plane. Then he and his 48-person entourage traveled from Liberia to the posh resort in an 18-vehicle fleet.

While the prince and his party are staying at the Four Seasons, the hotel has restricted the presence of other guests for security reasons, the daily reported.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 5:35 PM    

90% of Puntarenas Could Be Under Water Due to Global Warming



According to a report by Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) and the International Ocean Institute (IOI), located at the Universidad Nacional, between 60% and 90% of the town of Puntarenas could be under water by the year 2100, due to global warming.

The report indicates that the level of the oceans is expected to rise during this century and could reach a level of up to one metre higher than the current level.

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. An increase in global temperatures is expected to cause sea level rise, increased intensity of extreme weather events, and changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation. Other effects include changes in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors.

If the prediction of a rise occurs the report says that up to 90% of Puntarenas, mostly residential area, will disappear under water.

In the most of optimistic predictions, the rise would only be 30 centimetres, that would affect 105 hectares leaving 60% of Puntarenas under water.

The global consensus, published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is that the rise in sea level will be at least 28 centimetres over the next 90 years.

If global warming accelerates, the rise in seal level will be more rapidly. The predictions are based on satellite images.

According to oceanographer, Alejandro Gutiérrez, director of the IOI in Costa Rica, the areas for most concern are those low lying coastal areas in respect with the sea level.

Today Puntarenas and the surrounding areas of Pitahaya, Chomes, Chacarita and Tárcoles is home to 60.000 people and has a land and infrastructure value calculated at us$580 million dollars, an amount calculated in the year 2000, and representing 3% of the gross national product for last year.


The International Ocean Institute was founded in 1972 by Professor Elisabeth Mann Borgese as a knowledge-based non-governmental, non-profit international organization devoted to the sustainable development of the oceans. It operates through the activities of its Headquarters residing in Malta and Operational Centres located in 25 countries around the world.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 4:16 PM    

Costa Ricans Still Content with Arias



Many people in Costa Rica remain satisfied with the way their president has handled his duties, according to a poll by Unimer published in La Nación.

44 per cent of respondents rate Óscar Arias’s performance as good or very good, while 18 per cent deem it bad or very bad.

Arias 0 a member of the National Liberation Party (PLN) - won the February 2006 presidential election with 40.92 per cent of all cast ballots. Arias headed the government from 1986 to 1990, and was able to run again after the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly opted to bring back presidential re-election in 2003. He was sworn in for the second time in May 2006.

In 1987, Arias was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation in a peace deal that ended years of bloodshed in Central America. On Aug. 9, speaking at the ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Esquipulas Peace Accords, the Costa Rican president declared: "We cannot continue being a region of peace with hunger, peace with fear, and peace with hatred." Arias urged all Central American leaders to commit to democracy, free trade and development.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 4:15 PM    

Carbon Neutral Project in Collaboration with Costa Rica



Dole Food Company, Inc. today announced that Standard Fruit de Costa Rica, Dole’s operating subsidiary in Costa Rica, and Fondo Nacional de Financiamento Forestal (FONAFIFO), the National Forestry Financing Fund and an entity of the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica, signed a ground breaking agreement to work together on a project aimed at establishing a carbon neutral product supply chain for bananas and pineapples, from their production in Costa Rica to the markets in North America and Europe.

‘Carbon neutral,’ as applied to the banana and pineapple product supply chains, means that the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted to produce, pack, transport and distribute the fruit will be offset by mitigation practices which increase the capture of CO2 in order to achieve a ‘neutral’ balance. These practices entail new, more efficient transportation methods, changes to agricultural processes to reduce CO2 emissions, and partnering with local farmers to implement preservation and reforestation programs.

David A. DeLorenzo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dole Food Company, Inc., stated, "The environment is a concern for all of us. Companies, consumers, governments and non-governmental organizations should endeavor to promote and adopt new production and distribution methods and consumption behavior in order to reverse harmful trends to the environment. As the world’s largest producer and distributor of fruits and vegetables, Dole is determined to take the lead in its sector and the agreement with FONAFIFO is a good starting point.”

Roberto Dobles, PhD., Minister of the Environment and Energy of Costa Rica, stated, “Dole is such an important company in the production of bananas and pineapples on a global level that we are very enthusiastic that Standard Fruit made the decision to strive to become a carbon neutral company here in Costa Rica and join our efforts to become the first carbon neutral country in the world by 2021. With this agreement, Dole demonstrates its enormous capacity to innovate and develop processes that will be reflected in benefits to the environment. I hope that this initiative will be followed by others in the private sector, so that we may unite efforts in favor of the environment.”

Sylvain Cuperlier, Vice President, Director of Worldwide Corporate Social Responsibility of Dole Food Company, Inc., stated, "Dole has long been recognized for its environmental programs. Today, we want to utilize the Company’s environmental management systems and our staff’s expertise to produce and market ‘carbon neutral’ bananas and pineapples. To this end, we want to pull together all resources available within our Company and partner further with recognized organizations. Dole’s achievements in this area will come from working relationships with our employees, independent producers, labor representatives, government, academia, NGOs, customers, and suppliers."

Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2006 revenues of $6.2 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen foods and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.

This release contains "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements, which are based on management's current expectations, are generally identifiable by the use of terms such as "may," "will," "expects," "believes," "intends" and similar expressions. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied herein include weather-related phenomena; market responses to industry volume pressures; product and raw materials supplies and pricing; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; economic crises and security risks in developing countries; international conflict; and quotas, tariffs and other governmental actions. Further information on the factors that could affect Dole's financial results is included in its SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 4:13 PM    

New research is bad news for Costa Rica's frog species



The disease that is ravaging Costa Rica's frog population can be spread by spores that last in the environment for years, according to new research at the University of California, Berkeley.

Scientists there have studied the same deadly fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and concluded that this discovery seriously complicates efforts to save the frogs from extinction. This is the same fungus blamed for the rapid decline of amphibians in the mountains of Costa Rica.

In the western United States, the center of the Berkeley research, the fungus has been spreading quickly, moving west to east across the Sierra Nevada at a pace of about a mile per year, according to the researchers. Tens of thousands of mountain yellow-legged frogs in hundreds of sites have disappeared.

Alan Pounds, an ecologist at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve and Tropical Science Center, was the lead author of a report published in the Jan. 12, 2006, issue of the journal Nature. He said that the fungal disease, encouraged by climate change, has hundreds of species around the world teetering on the brink of extinction or has already pushed them into the abyss.

At least 110 species of brightly colored harlequin frogs once lived near streams in the tropics of Central and South America, but about two-thirds vanished in the 1980s and 1990s, according to the summary by Pounds.

The decline of the mountain yellow-legged frog in the western United States has been attributed to the introduction of non-native predatory fish in some areas and to chytridiomycosis, a quickly spreading disease caused by this waterborne fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.

The Berkeley study, to appear in next week's edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that the frog-killing fungus may end up playing the bigger role in the frog's demise because of its ability to spread over long distances and possibly persist in the environment as a consequence of sexual reproduction which results in spores, according to the researchers.

"This group of fungi, when it reproduces sexually, can create spores that can last for a decade," said John Taylor, Berkeley professor of plant and
microbial biology and principal investigator of that study. "That could make this pathogen a harder problem to defeat. As a resistant spore, the fungus could be transported by animals, including humans or birds, or lay dormant in an infected area until a new host comes along."

In other words, tourists could spread the spores.

The findings could help explain the global spread of this disease, which has also been found in South America, Australia, Europe and Africa, said the Berkeley researchers. While human-assisted spread is possible, the fungus also has infected amphibians in pristine areas too remote for human activity. The study also provides an answer as to why reintroduction efforts with frogs have failed. The spores persist in the environment and infect new arrivals.

Pounds' year-old study was based on research at some 50 sites in Central and South America. He and his colleagues concluded that the earth's rising temperatures enhance cloud cover on tropical mountains, leading to cooler days and warmer nights, both of which favor the fungus.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 1:42 PM    

Saudi royal family to meet with Costa Rica President



President Óscar Arias Sánchez has a date this afternoon with Al-Waleed bin Tala Alsaud, a major investor who is a member of the Saudi royal family.

Forbes magazine estimates his fortune at $20 billion. Among his holdings is a major stake in the Four Seasons Hotel group, and that is where he stayed in northwestern Costa Rica.

Although his luxury 747 aircraft sprouted flags on landing in Liberia, he is not considered a major player in Saudi politics. However, he is well known as an astute investor and expresses political views of his own. He holds a graduate degree from Syracuse University in New York.

Arias has invited the visitor to his Rohrmoser home instead of Casa Presidencial.

Al-Waleed, 52, made news in 2002 when he offered New York City $10 million in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in which the majority of the terrorists were from Saudi Arabia.

However, Mayor Rudy Giuliani turned him down because the donation was conditional. Al-Waleed said he wanted the United States to modify its policies in the Middle East, according to the then-mayor.

Al-Waleed traveled to the Four Season in a bus, leading an entourage of more than a dozen sports utility vehicles from the Daniel Oduber airport..

The visit by the Saudi investor fits with the Arias administration's goal of expanding its overseas contacts.

Costa Rica closed its embassy in Jerusalem and moved it to Tel Aviv in part to open doors to Middle Eastern states.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 1:40 PM