TUNIS (Reuters) - The son-in-law of Tunisia's president said in an interview his election to parliament and growing portfolio of media assets were not signs that he held political ambitions.

The rapid rise to prominence of businessman Sakher Materi, who is married to the daughter of 73-year-old President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, has sparked speculation that he is being groomed to take on a senior role in government.

"The ambitions that some people are exaggerating, that is completely wrong," he told Reuters in a rare interview.

"My objective is to participate, together with the Tunisian people, in the prosperity of our country," said Materi, aged 30. "My loyalty to President Ben Ali and to his national project is without limit."

Materi also said he had business projects planned for launch in the first half of 2010 worth a total of $100 million, including the opening of Tunisia's first Islamic bank, and a new terminal for Mediterranean cruise liners.

Tunisia, a former French colony of about 10 million people, has been dominated by Ben Ali since he came to power 23 years ago. He was re-elected to a fifth term in office in October last year with just under 90 percent of the vote.

Tunisia has one of the most open economies in the region and attracts substantial investment from the European Union, something that is expected to accelerate after 2014, when the government has said it will make the currency fully convertible.

MEDIA EMPIRE?

Materi, whose business interests range from pharmaceuticals to real estate, took on a higher profile last year when he was elected to parliament and was named a member of the ruling party's central committee.

He became a player in the media with the purchase of Tunisia's biggest-circulation newspaper, Essabah, and the acquisition of the first Islamic radio station. He said he hoped soon to add a religious television station to promote tolerance.

"I am in the process of setting up a media network targeted at serving my country," he said. "If some see it as an empire then that's their affair. I am not someone who likes titles."

Materi said his Islamic bank will start operating by the end of the first half, initially with nine branches and capital of $30 million, which would rise to $80 million after two years.

He announced his plan to create the bank, to be called Zaitouna, last year but has not previously disclosed any details. Islamic banks are compliant with Sharia law, which forbids practices such as charging interest.

He said the new bank would offer "opportunities for alternative finance and investments ... which fit in with our Islamic religion".

Materi revealed for the first time that in June this year he would open a major tourist complex in La Goulette, a suburb of the Tunisian capital.

The project, costing a total of $50 million, would involve a tourist village and work to adapt the existing port so it can host cruise ships, he said.

"We expect to increase the number of cruise ship tourists to around 500,000 a year," Materi said.

He said the project will "without doubt significantly increase the revenue of the Tunisian tourism industry because of the high spending power of this group of rich tourists".