Hilton Worldwide has signed a Management Agreement with High for Touristic Projects (part of The Egyptian Engineers Companies – Zaghloul Group) for the new-build Hilton Heliopolis in Egypt’s capital Cairo, scheduled to open in 2014.

The 485-room and 150-apartment low-rise property located in Cairo’s upmarket Heliopolis suburb, adjoins an integrated shopping complex and is next to the International Airport.

“We are very happy to have signed this management agreement for this landmark hotel in Cairo - an important development market for us. Hilton Heliopolis will truly complement our existing portfolio in Cairo, while also supporting our position as the leading hotel brand in Egypt (ref. Business Development Research Consultants – BDRC 2009). Thanks to Cairo’s bustling new international airport, which aims to handle 20 million passengers per year, we see increasing demand for accommodation in the affluent Heliopolis quarter,” said Jean-Paul Herzog, President, Hilton Worldwide, Middle East & Africa.

Hilton Heliopolis will feature five restaurants and bars ranging from an all-day dining restaurant and two speciality restaurants to a sports bar and lobby lounge bar. In keeping with Hilton’s renowned Hilton Meetings product, the hotel will have a 960 sq. m. ballroom, nine meeting rooms of various sizes, and one boardroom. Further on-site facilities are planned to include a lounge dedicated to airline crew, fitness centre, outdoor swimming pool and two tennis courts.

“The stunning low-rise design of Hilton Heliopolis is truly evocative of our new class of upscale Hilton hotels that creates exciting and enjoyable experiences for our guests. These hotels provide the services and amenities business and leisure travellers need to work and relax 24/7,” said Dave Horton, Global Head - Hilton Hotels.

Tourism is considered the highest source of foreign currency for Egypt contributing 6.6% of GDP. The country has a target to welcome 27 million tourists by 2022.

“We are delighted to have signed this management agreement with Hilton, who are leaders in hospitality and have tremendous brand recognition in Egypt. As the country continues to witness a growth in tourism numbers, and with Heliopolis attracting multi-national companies looking to avoid the hustle and bustle of downtown Cairo, this property is destined for success,” said Hazem Saad Zaghloul, Chairman, High for Touristic Projects (part of The Egyptian Engineers Companies – Zaghloul Group).

Hilton Worldwide has an impressive brand footprint in the Middle East & Africa with 44 hotels across 14 countries, and another 20 properties in the pipeline. The Hilton brand is the largest hotel brand in Egypt by number of hotels (16) and room count (6,280 rooms), spread across Cairo and all the major coastal resorts (Source: Lodging Econometrics Q1 2009).