Revelry is rife on the Red Sea as coastal resort El Gouna celebrates 20 years of successful growth, multi-culturalism, award-winning architecture and stunning scenery.

The first fully fledged resort town in the region has welcomed increasing interest from the UK over the past two decades.  The British - drawn in by year-round sunshine, a high quality of life and comparative affordability - compromise a quarter of the region’s total population and nearly half of the foreign population.

Where the average house in the Cotswolds costs £288K, the Canary Islands £214k and a modest villa in French Riviera running into the millions, one bedroom properties are readily available in El Gouna for £200k.

A mix of building styles, developed by a host of prestigious architects, including Michael Graves, Alfredo Freda, Ramy El-Dahan and Ahmad Hamdy, ensure the town possesses a visual unity.  El Gouna will further expand to include a larger marina, new hotels and a second golf course, adding to its appeal as a holiday and second home destination.

Samih Sawiris, chairman and CEO of Orascom Development Holding (ODH), said: “It’s about steadily improving and never stopping work on the project. You need to reach a critical mass to stop developing and this point has not yet been reached.  Much potential for growth exists, but once a certain level is attained, development will stop in order to preserve the unique feel of El Gouna and the desirable lifestyles of its residents.”

El Gouna is well equipped for permanent residents, with an international school, European-standard-hospital, library (can we refer to the Culturama thing we have in El Gouna here?) and religious facilities , as well as an 18-hole championship golf course, the region’s first sailing Abu Tig marina and access to the world’s best diving sites,

Born in 1989 when Samih Sawiris, owner of Orascom Development Holding (ODH), envisaged a paradise between the desert and the Red Sea. Since then, ODH has grown El Gouna to the size of Central London, housing a 15,000 strong multicultural community.

Samih Sawiris, owner of ODH, is available for interview and images of El Gouna throughout the last 20 years are on hand.  Please refer to the contact details included in this press release.