RIYADH: Coastal towns across the Middle East are undergoing a significant transformation, evolving from seasonal vacation spots into vibrant, year-round communities.
The rise of remote employment has prompted many workers to relocate to these coastal areas, leading to an increased demand for diverse amenities and housing options. As a result, these towns are adapting to accommodate a varied population.
Omar El-Hamamsy, group CEO of Orascom Development Holding, has observed this shift firsthand. He noted that towns that were once seasonal are now welcoming year-round residents with a range of lifestyles. “People discovered that basically this whole differentiation between a primary home and a secondary home doesn’t exist anymore,” he stated in an interview with Arab News.
“Today, all of our towns are actually populated almost year-round with people who choose to actually come live here and work from here because now it’s become acceptable for people to do remote work,” El-Hamamsy added.
Omar El-Hamamsy, group CEO of Orascom Development Holding. Supplied
Orascom Development Holding is transforming its coastal properties to create communities where residents can live and work. The company’s investments in infrastructure will support business, education, and wellness initiatives across seven countries, including 11 destinations like Egypt’s fully integrated town, El Gouna.
Spanning 36.9 million sq. meters, Orascom’s El Gouna is home to over 25,000 full-time residents. Located along the Red Sea coastline, it has evolved from a luxury resort into a fully integrated town featuring 40 neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, marinas, and restaurants.
El-Hamamsy further emphasized El Gouna’s transformation into a diverse international community: “Almost half of our buyers here are people who don’t live in Egypt in the first place, lots of Europeans, we start increasingly having people from the GCC.”
According to him, El Gouna’s appeal is tied to its robust facilities, which include high-speed internet, reliable infrastructure, and access to educational and medical services.
El Gouna now features luxury residences, commercial zones, and co-working spaces, creating an integrated community rather than a traditional single-purpose resort.
Multifunctional development
Tuban is a newly launched multipurpose district within El Gouna. Spanning nearly a million square meters, Tuban features residential areas, commercial zones, marinas, and the region’s first upscale senior living community.
Mohamed Amer, CEO of El Gouna, explained that Tuban “is going to be 1 million (sq. meters) right in the heart of El Gouna, and what’s new about Tuban is that it’s very much multi-discipline.”
He added: “So there is residential, there is commercial, there is marina, and there is hospitality.”
Mohamed Amer, CEO of El Gouna. Supplied
Amer shared: “Every neighborhood is going to be designed by a different designer. We already launched the first neighborhood that was designed by Hector Barroso, who is a Mexican designer. And the second neighborhood is going to be launched in probably six weeks. And it’s a different designer from Spain.”
Future residents of El Gouna’s Tuban district can anticipate short wait times, as Amer emphasized: “We are the fastest developer in Egypt for delivery for handover. So we deliver in two to two and a half years.” He reiterated, “That still, we are the fastest developer to deliver in Egypt.”
Community-centered destination
El Gouna continues to expand its community-focused amenities, including the G-Space co-working hub and the newly launched G-Valley business incubator. These spaces provide local entrepreneurs and remote workers with professional environments and resources.
In addition, El Gouna hosts cultural and sports events, such as the El Gouna Film Festival and the International Squash Open, further enriching the community experience.
Regional growth
Amer also discussed the impact of the Kingdom’s Red Sea investments, stating: “I really like what’s happening on the Saudi side, and I think that it’s going to positively impact the entire region.” He added, “They say ‘a high tide lifts all the boats,’ you know, once Saudi comes in the game, big time, the pie is getting bigger, and we’re not competing together.” Amer concluded, “So the pie will get bigger, and I think that’s going to positively impact all the parties.”
