Qatari Diar starts $29.7bn Egypt coastal project

Qatari Diar has launched the first phase of its $29.7 billion Alam Al Roum development on Egypt’s North Coast, advancing one of the largest integrated real estate and tourism investments planned along the Mediterranean.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly attended the launch at the project site alongside senior government officials and Qatari Diar executives. The development is being implemented in partnership with Egypt’s New Urban Communities Authority and is designed as a year-round coastal city rather than a seasonal resort.

The overall investment programme includes $3.5 billion in direct cash investment. Initial unit handovers are scheduled to begin in 2030, when work on the first phase is expected to be substantially completed.

Alam Al Roum covers about 20.58 million square metres, or roughly 4,900 acres, and extends along 7.2 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline west of Marsa Matrouh. The master plan combines residential neighbourhoods, hotels, retail, entertainment, education, healthcare and cultural facilities with extensive waterfront infrastructure.

Phase One will occupy about four million square metres, with a built-up area of approximately 1.4 million square metres. The first stage alone is backed by investment of about EGP220 billion and is expected to generate around 30,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Plans for the initial phase include a two-kilometre beach and promenade, natural lagoons linked to the Mediterranean and about 195,000 square metres of artificial swimmable lagoons. Open spaces will account for close to 85% of the phase’s footprint.

A downtown marina capable of accommodating 50 yachts will anchor the waterfront component. Four hotels providing more than 1,000 rooms are also planned, alongside sports complexes, restaurants and international retail outlets.

The project’s full master plan is substantially broader. It provides for about 22 kilometres of open lagoons connected to the sea and around 850,000 square metres of artificial swimmable lagoons.

An international marina with capacity for about 370 berths and another marina accommodating 120 vessels are among the major infrastructure components. Plans also include an 18-hole golf course covering nearly 980,000 square metres and more than 3,500 hotel rooms across international luxury hotels and resorts.

The development is expected to create more than 250,000 direct and indirect jobs when fully completed, underlining its importance to Egypt’s strategy of attracting foreign investment into large-scale tourism, construction and urban development projects.

Qatari Diar and the New Urban Communities Authority agreed on the project in November 2025. The agreement covered the development of the Alam Al Roum area in Matrouh Governorate and included the $3.5 billion cash component alongside extensive investment commitments for construction and infrastructure.

Egypt received the $3.5 billion payment in December 2025. The inflow formed part of Qatar’s wider investment commitments to Egypt and provided the government with additional foreign currency at a time when Cairo was seeking to strengthen external financing and reduce pressure from high public debt.

The agreement also provides Egypt with completed real estate assets valued at about $1.8 billion. The New Urban Communities Authority is expected to receive 15% of project profits after Qatari Diar recovers its investment costs.

About 60% of the development area has been allocated to residential uses, while approximately 15% is planned for services. Roads, public spaces and landscaped areas account for the remaining 25%.

The master plan has been developed by architecture and urban design firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with specialist international consultants. Qatari Diar is promoting walkability, smart mobility, water efficiency, biodiversity protection and climate resilience as core design principles.

Infrastructure plans include electricity distribution systems, water desalination facilities and broader utility networks needed to support permanent residential and commercial activity. Schools, universities, hospitals and government facilities are intended to reduce the development’s dependence on nearby cities.

The location also gives Alam Al Roum access to a wider corridor of investment stretching along Egypt’s northwestern coastline. It lies close to Marsa Matrouh and Ras El Hekma, where another multibillion-dollar development programme has accelerated investor interest in Mediterranean property and tourism assets.