El Gouna, Egypt: An Investor’s Nirvana on the Red Sea

Around 35 years ago, Egyptian businessman Samih Sawiris was on the look out for the perfect spot, somewhere along the Red Sea coast, to create a waterside idyll to be enjoyed by his nearest and dearest. His vision was a modest one: a smattering of beach houses, perhaps, to accommodate 20 or so people, with a private marina for their boats. A playground in the sun, remote from—but accessible to—the facilities, amenities, and infrastructure found in any much larger municipality.

Enlisting the help of locals with intimate knowledge of the area, Sawiris settled on a spot, just over 20 miles south of Hurghada International airport, which suited his requirements: close to the best diving sites, swimming and fishing zones, replete with reachable islands, and boasting a natural harbor.

Today, that meticulously selected hotspot is a home to a bustling, multicultural community of around 25,000 people from over 50 different nations, spread over 40 residential neighborhoods. A serious claimant to the widely claimed “Jewel of The Red Sea” tag, it’s a place where thoughtfully designed property developments, waterfront townhouses and spacious villas nestle as close to vibrant promenades as they do world-class commercial and leisure amenities and turquoise lagoons.