New infrastructure projects set to boost Egypt’s tourism sector

This is according to various news reports emanating from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Arabian Gulf Business Insight says Qatar intends developing an integrated tourism project on just over 20 square kilometres of land at Ras Alam El-Rum on the north-western coast of Egypt.

“The Egyptian government will receive a share of revenues in exchange for providing utilities and infrastructure services. The official announcement of the project will reportedly be made this month,” the news platform says, quoting the Arabic-language news site Ashraq Business.

Ecofin Agency, an economic news agency covering Africa, reports that the project draws inspiration from Ras El-Hekma, another massive coastal development initiative in Egypt.

There, the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company – Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund – is investing $35-billion to turn the area into a tourist hub, financial centre, and free zone 350km northwest of Cairo.

“This deal aligns with Egypt’s broader strategy. Authorities recently set an ambitious goal to attract $42-billion in foreign direct investment during the 2025-2026 fiscal year, which began on July 1^st, 2025,” Ecofin says.

Record-breaking data for Egypt’s travel and tourism sector

In June 2025, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) revealed record-breaking data for Egypt’s travel and tourism sector, with 2024 marking the highest-ever contribution to the national economy, and 2025 forecast to surpass that record once again.

According to WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Research (EIR), developed in collaboration with Oxford Economics, the sector contributed significantly to Egypt’s GDP in 2024, accounting for 8.5% of the national economy.

“Looking ahead, 2025 is projected to set a new all-time high with a forecast annual growth of 4.9% and increase in the sector’s share to 8.6% of national GDP. This underlines the central role of travel and tourism in Egypt’s continued economic development,” the WTTC said.

Enhancing Africa’s travel and tourism sector was a focus of the African Marketing Confederation’s 2025 annual conference held in Ghana recently. The AMC is collaborating with UN Tourism on its Brand Africa initiative to create a responsible, sustainable and attractive pan-African tourism brand.