Cairo, 12 July 2026: Marking 50 years of its longstanding presence in the Egyptian market, Gulf Egypt for Hotels and Tourism, a subsidiary of United Real Estate Company (URC), has unveiled a landmark integrated lifestyle hospitality destination in Sharm El Sheikh. The project represents a new model of collaboration designed to strengthen Egypt’s tourism offering, attract high-value investments, and contribute to the objectives of Egypt Vision 2030 by advancing integrated hospitality destinations and fostering long-term sector growth.
With investments exceeding EGP 20 billion, Gulf Egypt aims to create one of Sharm El Sheikh’s most distinctive integrated lifestyle destinations, combining hospitality, residential living, wellness, entertainment, and leisure experiences within a single master-planned development. Spanning approximately 354,458 sqm and featuring nearly 750 meters of rare natural sandy beachfront and a prime location just minutes from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport and within close proximity to the city’s conference and event facilities.
With the support of the Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Tourism Development Authority (TDA), this occasion was marked by the signing of a cooperation protocol with Al Montazah Tourism & Investment Company, from which Gulf Egypt for Hotels and Tourism acquired the project land following an extensive evaluation and planning process aligned with its long-term development strategy, reaffirming the ongoing collaboration between the two parties. The protocol was represented by Major General Sameh Shoaib, Executive Managing Director of Al Montazah, whose leadership and strategic direction were instrumental in shaping the collaboration underpinning the project.
For his part, Major General Sameh Shoaib commented on the signing of the collaboration protocol, saying: “Our collaboration with a leading company the size of Gulf Egypt reflects a shared desire to shape new horizons for tourism development in Sharm El Sheikh. We are proud to contribute to this ambitious project by offering every possible form of support that ensure the development of an integrated tourism infrastructure that meets the aspirations of investors and visitors and drives the sector’s growth rates forward.”
Gulf Egypt also signed an agreement with HVS, one of the world’s leading hospitality advisory firms, to provide market research, feasibility studies, and advisory services, as well as an agreement with JLL to undertake market and economic feasibility studies and support the project’s integrated master planning, development strategy, and specialized studies, ensuring the destination is developed in line with international best standards and practices.
The signing was attended by Eng. Tarek Elshazly, CEO of Gulf Egypt for Hotels and Tourism; Ms. Hala Matar Choufany, President of HVS Middle East, Africa and South Asia; and Mr. Ayman Sami, Country Head of JLL Egypt, along with a number of company officials and advisors.
In this context, Eng. Tarek Elshazly expressed the strategic significance of this expansion, saying: “The launch of our new destination in Sharm El Sheikh represents a true embodiment of our strategic vision, built on creating integrated, mixed-use tourism destinations that leave a sustainable mark on the hospitality sector. We are not merely developing world-class hotel facilities; we are crafting flexible investments that support the state’s tourism development plans and create new horizons for growth. Our partnerships today with global leaders in the sector are the cornerstone through which we guarantee exceptional operational and planning standards befitting Egypt’s status as a leading tourism destination.”
In a related context, Hala Matar Choufany, President of HVS Middle East, Africa and South Asia, stated: “HVS is proud to support Gulf Egypt in a project of this scale, ambition, and long-term vision. Sharm El Sheikh continues to demonstrate strong hospitality fundamentals and global leisure appeal, and we are witnessing growing confidence from investors and operators in the future of this destination. Projects of this magnitude do not merely elevate the level of tourism supply; they enhance the standing of the entire destination on the regional and international hospitality landscape.”
Also commending the agreement, Ayman Sami, Country Head of JLL Egypt, said: “Strategic planning grounded in precise market studies is the foundation of success for major tourism destinations. Through our collaboration with Gulf Egypt, we seek to apply innovative advisory insights and international standards that ensure the creation of sustainable, added value for the project, and enhance its competitiveness as an attractive destination aligned with global market developments.”
Through these strategic collaborations, the development will comprise a luxury bay-front hotel, two branded residential communities, and Sharm El Sheikh’s first internationally branded beach club, which will serve as one of the project’s signature destination anchors and a vibrant year-round social hub, hosting a diverse calendar of events and entertainment experiences that reinforce the project’s position as an integrated lifestyle destination. Supported by specialized operators, the project will also feature leisure, and wellness offerings that enhance its appeal to residents and visitors alike while contributing to the diversification of Egypt’s tourism product.
The destination’s current vision is the result of an extensive planning and development process involving a series of technical, economic, and tourism-related assessments conducted by leading local and international advisors. As the master plan evolved through the incorporation of additional land, Gulf Egypt and its partners undertook a comprehensive review to ensure the destination would maximize its long-term economic, tourism, and community impact. All key studies and strategic assessments have now been completed, and the project is progressing through the final approval cycle in preparation for implementation.

Established in 1976, Gulf Egypt has built a distinguished track record in the Egyptian market spanning more than five decades. Among its flagship assets are Hilton Cairo Heliopolis and Waldorf Astoria Cairo Heliopolis, having pioneered the introduction of the Waldorf Astoria brand to Africa. The new Sharm El Sheikh destination marks the company’s next major milestone, creating an integrated lifestyle destination that combines hospitality, branded residences, wellness, leisure, entertainment, and community experiences within a sustainable development framework. Through its strategic collaborations with Al Montazah Tourism & Investment Company, HVS, JLL, and future hospitality and lifestyle operators, Gulf Egypt aims to create a destination that not only enhances Sharm El Sheikh’s tourism landscape but also contributes to Egypt’s vision of becoming one of the world’s leading tourism destinations.