Poised to gain from Egypt’s booming housing market, as well as the potential of its recovering tourism industry, Tatweer Misr is a real estate developer that is truly bringing something unique to the country.
Founded just four years ago, Tatweer Misr has already established itself as a trendsetter in the industry through its innovative and sophisticated luxury mixed-use projects. And Tatweer Misr is not merely just building houses, apartments and commercial spaces; it’s also building hotels, health clinics, schools and even has plans to build an International University Campus – meaning it will become deeply rooted in many of Egypt’s most promising sectors, from real estate and tourism, to health and education.
“It comes down to value,” says Ahmed Shalaby, CEO and Managing Director. “We believe that is important to provide value in many aspects, be it through value for money, sustainability or new and innovative concepts that are integrated to create value for lifestyle.”
“That is reflected in how we masterplan the intricate details of our projects,” adds Mr. Shalaby, whose desire and passion for his grand vision for Tatweer Misr’s unique projects, as well as Egypt as a whole, is clearly palpable.
“We’re getting very positive feedback from the market which is reflected in our sales figures; that we’re delivering something exceptional and unique that fulfills the diverse demands of a large base of customers.”
Currently Tatweer Misr has three mixed-use projects at varying stages of development: IL Monte Galalain Sokhna; Fouka Bay, in Ras El Hekma along the beautiful North Coast; and Bloomfields in Mostakbal City, in the East of Cairo. IL Monte Galala is Tatweer Misr’s flagship project nestled in the mountains of Galala on the Red Sea coast, whose design was inspired by the blend of architectural sophistication and natural beauty found in the mountains of Portofino, Italy.
“We have built the world’s first Crystal Lagoon situated on a mountain. This was very challenging, but it is one of the many value propositions that IL Monte Galala provides its guests and owners. With its amenities and diversity, it is the perfect balance between leisure and day-to-day living incorporating a range of features to appeal to all ages,” says Shalaby.
“It is really a constant process, we are continuously integrating new ideas and concepts that will complement and add to the life of the community. This may be something as simple as a better ventilation method or our recent decision to opt for a range of boutique hotels, and goes as far as potentially including a small education hub that will host a design school.
“We’re discussing with an Italian school to come to IL Monte Galala in one of the next phases of the project, so we believe that this kind of integration is the thing that will create the quality of life – so it’s not just about the buildings, it’s about life and its diversity.”
Designed by world-renowned Italian architects 5+1AA, Fouka Bay is a more laid back luxurious development, consisting of double-decked twin houses and townhouses, standalone chalets, spacious cabins and bungalows – all with easy access to secluded white sandy beaches and turquoise lagoons in the heart of Ras El Hekma’s gleaming coastline. “At Fouka Bay, every home is a beach front, which is another thing that distinguishes us from others,” adds Mr. Shalaby.
But the company’s latest project, Bloomfields is its most innovative, unique and ambitious yet –turning concepts on architecture and integrated luxury developments right on their heads. The 415-acre development, between New Cairo’s Golden Square and Cairo’s New Capital, will offer residents lush sun-kissed parks, open-air galleries, top-notch education and world-class facilities.
Aside from local and international schools, Tatweer is building a university campus at Bloomfields – and all of these education institutions will be underpinned by the ethos of innovation and entrepreneurship, which fits perfectly with the vision for the future of Egypt as a whole.
Tatweer Misr is in talks with universities in the U.S. and the U.K. in order to bring them to the Bloomfields campus and has already signed a partnership with Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), which will open its first regional hub in North Africa and the Middle East at the campus.
“We’re building a community at the heart of which is the educational campus which comprises an International University Campus, a number of international schools and most importantly the GEN@Bloomfields innovation hub. The campus in its entirety represents the beating heart of Bloomfields. With its integration into the project, it will ensure that Bloomfields can become economically sustainable as the central town caters to the needs of this thriving community,” explains Mr. Shalaby.
“We have already set the first stone for the GEN@Bloomfields Hub which is also the first stone of the university campus. Around that we will have office buildings, retail spaces, hotels, service apartments and part of these concepts will be integrated with the hub and the university. It should be delivered three years from now. We’re working to achieve that. It’s a challenge, but inshallah we’ll be able to do it.”
Aside from offering best-in-class education facilities, Tatweer is catering to the budding tourism industry, a sector about which Mr. Shalaby is particularly upbeat. The company is set to develop seven hotels at Fouka and Il Monte Galala.
“Between hotels and service apartments, we’ll have about 2,400 keys, both in Fouka and Il Monte Galala. We believe that we should diversify our portfolio to have typical residences, service apartments and hotel rooms. I think there’s a huge opportunity for Egypt in tourism,” he says.
“We have the beaches, we have the weather, we have the archeological sites, we have whatever you need to bring people from all over the world to Egypt 365 days a year, so tourism should be the main mine for us.”
