Construction work has been launched on the $1.74 billion Marassi – a world-class tourism, leisure, commercial and residential development – following the award of a construction contract to Construction Industries-Contrack (OCI-Contrack) during late December.

Under the contract, OCI-Contrack will develop the first group of villas and townhouses and a world-class beach club at this mega development, which is being developed by Emaar Misr for Development, a wholly-owned country subsidiary of global property developer Emaar Properties.
The Marassi development is expected to kick-start tourism growth in Egypt while creating an upscale lifestyle community on the north coast, close to the city of Alexandria and the historic township of El Alamein.
The 1,544-acre (6.25 million sq m) tourist resort being developed at the Sidi Abdel Rahman Bay is envisaged as a Mediterranean-style self-sustained township which will have seven districts, each with distinctive identities and activities. The Marassi homes are inspired by several architectural styles including Egyptian, Greek, Andalusian, Italian, Spanish, Tunisian and Moroccan.
The development’s central location along the Alexandria/Marsa Matrouh Road will be an added attraction for the project, which offers 6 km of open beachfront.
“We are ahead of schedule on contractor selection for the Marassi development and nine months ahead of our commitment to the government in overall project management. We are partnering with the best companies to deliver the outstanding quality that is expected of the project, and wherever possible we work with local companies,” says Sameh Muhtadi, the recently-appointed CEO of Emaar Misr, who will focus on implementing the company’s four projects in Egypt and also identify new growth areas.
“We are drawing on world-class architectural and landscaping capabilities to create a vibrant township with Marassi. Our objective is to have a fully integrated lifestyle community that will add value to the economy of Egypt through employment generation, tourism growth and property development,” he adds.
“Marassi is redefining the concept of tourism resort development and its varied mix of residential, commercial, leisure and hospitality components will make it the first-of-its-kind resort project on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. We are proud to partner with Emaar Misr, and strive to deliver the world-class standards that mark Emaar’s projects globally,” says Karim Camel El Towag, CEO of OCI-Contrack.
The project includes a number of components. These include Savona Villas, an elegant and serene resort community, with a man-made canal and expansive golf resort; the Altea Resort Villas community, with an 18-hole golf course and views of the fairways; Valencia Residences, comprising two-storey estate villas perched on a coastal bluff offering stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea; Safi Sands, featuring a five-star hotel, spa and convention facilities, boutique hotels and a beach club – all in Moroccan-style architecture.
Tunisian architecture, meanwhile, will be the focus of Port Zarsis. Homes here will also reflect the look and feel of Spain and Andalusia, complete with a soothing colour palette, traditional décor and urban design patterns including private paved courtyards. The Santorini Hills resort apartment village, on the other hand, will be clustered to resemble a Greek hillside village, complete with plazas.
Lastly, the Marassi Marina, the core of the development and its primary sea gate, will have a multi-slip marina, fine dining and shopping venues and apartments.
“Marassi will redefine the leisure and commercial landscape of Sidi Abdel Rahman and will appeal to residents and tourists alike for the diverse mix of amenities. This complements Emaar's vision to have international standard projects in the countries we operate in, and support the development plans of the government, which is focused on boosting the tourism sector.”
“Marassi is moving beyond the conventional parameters of lifestyle-oriented developments by showcasing vibrant tourism and leisure amenities. With a total of 3,000 hotel rooms and a strong focus on convention facilities, Marassi will also boost the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector of tourism, which is booming in Egypt, today,” adds Muhtadi.
Marassi is accessible from the Burj El Arab and El Alamein airports in Egypt, both offering direct connections to major European cities. The project is also in easy proximity to historic sites and offers residents the choice of desert safari, eco-tourism and diving pursuits.
Emaar Misr is considered to be the single largest foreign direct investor in Egypt's real estate sector with an investment portfolio of $5.54 billion and apart from the Marassi, it is also developing three other iconic mega construction projects in the country – the $2.1 billion Uptown Cairo, the $1 billion residential community located at the fifth district New Cairo City and the $700 million residential-cum-commercial project located at the start of the Cairo-Alexandria Road, which also features Cairo Gate, the largest lifestyle and entertainment mall in Egypt.
“Egypt has enormous growth potential and is one of our strategic markets. Having consolidated our presence in the country and restructured the company, we are now going full-steam ahead to implement our projects that have gained the confidence of the Egyptian investors,” says Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties.
The $2.1 billion Uptown Cairo – its pioneering master-development located in Mokkattam – features residences, a business park, schools, a mall, restaurants, medical centres spa, sports and leisure facilities including a golf club with an 18-hole course, tennis courts and a soccer field. The development is spread over 4 million sq m and will create a new township some 200 m above sea level.
The homes, consisting of apartments, townhouses and villas in Mediterranean, Spanish and Tuscan architectural styles, are set in lushly landscaped surroundings with generous floor plans that accentuate the feeling of space. The well-detailed homes also feature built-in wardrobes, furnished kitchens, central air-conditioning, spacious balconies and wide windows.
“As a vibrant new town centre in the making, Uptown Cairo is a keenly anticipated development, and will deliver a world-class lifestyle for Egypt. Apart from modern homes, it will house commercial enterprises and hospitality and leisure outlets,” points out Muhtadi.
Last July, Emaar Misr opened one of the largest sales centres in the world to showcase models of exclusive homes to launch public sale of the project.
“The sales centre is a one-stop shop for customers to get a true feel of the project and meet with Emaar executives for a detailed overview of the various amenities,” he adds.

Cairo Gate mall
Also in July, the company unveiled plans for Cairo Gate, which is expected to be the largest mixed-use lifestyle and entertainment mall in Egypt and forms part of the $700 million residential-cum-commercial project spread over 160 acres at the start of the Cairo-Alexandria Road.
Phase 1 of the mall, with a gross leasable area of 250,000 sq m, is easily accessible from Sheikh Zayed Residential Development and 6 October district and will anchor a multitude of world-class shopping brands apart from restaurants, cafés and leisure outlets with a strong outdoor theme. Two new hotels linked to the shopping mall are also being planned. Emaar Malls Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Emaar Properties, will develop the mall in conjunction with Emaar Misr.
“Cairo Gate reiterates our commitment to the people of Egypt to create integrated lifestyle communities through our projects. The outdoor shopping mall is a new concept to Egypt, and with Cairo Gate, we want to bring a new lifestyle experience to Egypt that will appeal to all sections of the society,” says Alabbar.
Cairo Gate has a frontage of 1 km along the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road near the Smart Village commercial precinct, and will complement the residential, hospitality and commercial components of Emaar Misr's development. The primary catchment areas including 6 October City and Giza will have a population of over six million residents. 
With the Cairo Gate project, Emaar Misr is positioning and pioneering retail opportunities in Cairo on par with innovative lifestyle shopping malls around the world. As the driving force behind The Dubai Mall – the world’s largest shopping centre and premier lifestyle destination – the Emaar Malls Group expects to bring the same global standards to the Cairo Gate project.
Emaar’s Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road community project also envisages the creation of an office park with world-class facilities, residences and hospitality projects. Other amenities include healthcare centres, schools and places of worship.

Residential community
Meanwhile, the exclusive residential community located at the fifth district New Cairo City, close to the new campus of the American University in Cairo, will spread over 3.8 million sq m. It will be an upscale residential community with approximately 5,000 residential units, and will feature amenities such as private clubs, restaurants, cafes, schools, swimming pools, healthcare facilities, shopping centres and places of worship.