Istithmar confirms the QE2 will not be positioned in Cape Town for the 2010 Football World Cup. At the end of January Dubai-based Istithmar World confirmed that they were no longer considering relocating the QE2 to Cape Town in South Africa. The original plans would have seen her docked at the Victoria & Albert Waterfront for up to eighteen months, to coincide with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Newspaper and website reports suggest the length of stay at the Waterfront was an issue for a commercial port operation. A statement from Istithmar stated that Cape Town is "no longer being considered".
Separately, prior to the announcement concerning Cape Town, it was confirmed that David Jackson, the chief executive of Istithmar World, had resigned from the company. Mr Jackson was in charge during the company's phase of rapid acquisitions, which saw the purchase of key assets including the Cirque du Soleil and the QE2.
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