Egypt is in the midst of a tourism boom with developers busy planning major resorts along the Mediterranean and Red Sea coastlines. The North coast is now firmly on the tourism radar following the opening of Al Alamein International Airport.

The first of five hotels at the Almaza Bay Resort – to be developed by the Travco Group, an Egyptian travel leisure group, and Germany’s TUI AG – was recently inaugurated. The three-million-square-metre project will ultimately contain residential and tourist villas on completion.

Ahmad El Khadem, chairman of the Egypt Tourist Authority, said: “It is extremely pleasing to see the northern region now realising its potential. Investment and consumer interest will continue to increase as the developments are completed and the profile of the area grows in stature.”

UAE property developing giant Emaar also has one eye firmly fixed on northern Egypt’s tourism potential.
Group subsidiary Emaar Misr for Development S.A.E and Artoc Group for Investment and Development have signed an MoU with Egypt’s Bibilotheca Alexandria for a major waterfront redevelopment project.

The redevelopment will provide a spectrum of facilities on Kouta Land on the west of the library and provide another dimension to the already-popular historic old east harbour area.

The project is envisaged to be part of a broader vision that will contain four and five-star hotels and include conference, exhibition and retail facilities, office spaces, residential buildings, an aquarium, museums and cultural buildings.

Alexandria’s tourism profile will also be bolstered by the planned development of the San Stefano complex, which is earmarked to have a Four Seasons hotel.

Further west, Porto Marina wiil be the first international marina on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.

The biggest stand-alone project, being built at Port Ghalib along 18 kilometres of Rea Sea shoreline, is the brainchild of developer and investor, the Al-Kharafi Group of Kuwait.

The integrated community will contain a bustling town centre, busy promenades with shops, boutiques, restaurants, bistros, cafes, as well as galleries and entertainment for all ages.

Another upcoming Red Sea investment will see Jordan-based Al Shahin Group for Investments build a $300 million resort and marina at Sahl Hashish.