On our way to New Alamein city, which stretches along the North Coast, a question kept ringing in my ears. Has the city really achieved its target of becoming an all-year-round destination and a top-notch destination for tourists in the Middle East?
The jury has not given their final word since construction work on major projects in the area are still underway. But looking at the landscape, the amount of investments, and the location of this strategic tourist hub, New Alamein city seems to be a dream well on the way towards materialisation.
New Alamein City is one of Egypt’s largest recent development projects, with investments estimated at around LE350 billion (roughly $7 to $11 billion). Its direct contribution to Egypt’s economy remains relatively limited so far, due to the fact that it is still witnessing ongoing development. Yet, the project is designed to play a long-term role by attracting investment, expanding urban space, and transforming the North coast into a year-round tourism destination rather than a seasonal one.
The minute we arrived at New Alamein City, we were captivated by the golden sands and the azure crystal-clear water of the Mediterranean. A cool breeze wafted past us as we were having a tour, softening the heat of the baking sun, and we could see the city’s modern roads stretching out to the horizon, connecting high-rise towers to new ports and airports and promising big investments.
More significant was the fact that the whole city seemed to be alive despite the fact that it was not yet the high season on Egypt’s North Coast, which usually starts in July. The breathtaking landscape and beautiful weather promised a tourist season that may extend for eight months, away from the traditional summer restrictions.
Today, if plans go as promised, New Alamein may very well compete with Tunisian and Turkish resorts, as more modern highways and ports are being built to connect the city to Cairo and other major cities, making it even more accessible to vacationers and investors alike.
New Alamein is already a state-of-the-art coastal city dotted with conference halls and cultural centres designed to host a variety of events throughout the year including celebrations, exhibitions, conferences, and workshops.
The city blends an exotic natural landscape with the elegant modernity of high-rise buildings and an expanding and luxurious urban landscape. The Alamein War Cemetery also lies nearby, adding a historic layer to the city’s already unique blend. The historic area is connected to the second battle of Alamein, and the cemetery is the final resting place of soldiers who died in the battle.
New Alamein remains a city whose identity has not yet been decided, but a short visit to the area is enough to hold out the promise of an all-year destination and a five-star tourist hub. The city is not only designed to accommodate vacationers, but also to be a year-round destination.
Real-estate and hotel investments are growing by the minute, giving way to more and more new residential and leisure areas. The area seems to be growing into a city that will attract tourists, international events, and investments alike. The buzz of economic activities there seems to defy critics.
Egypt’s tourism sector already generates more than $13 billion annually, and New Alamein is expected to boost this by drawing millions more visitors each year and significantly expanding hotel capacity. The project has also created substantial employment opportunities, particularly in construction and related sectors, with longer-term job creation tied to tourism and services.
However, debate continues over its economic value: supporters view it as a strategic investment that could yield strong returns over time, while critics argue that its high costs and relatively expensive housing risk limiting accessibility and placing additional strain on public finances if anticipated levels of occupancy and tourism are not achieved.
BUILDING FACILITIES: If urban planning is anything to go by, New Alamein is a city that rejects the idea of stillness. The city is designed to move, to flow, and to change activities.
Perhaps nothing better illustrates this idea than the Olympic City that will be built in New Alamein. A plan to build an international Olympic City on an area of nearly 800 acres is currently being discussed in a project that those at its helm suggest will be a turning point in New Alamein’s identity.
Mohamed Khalafallah, chairman of the New Alamein City Authority and supervisor of the Tourist Villages Authority, does not view the Olympic City as a mere sports facility but instead describes it as part of an integrated economic and tourism system. The initial proposal already includes international sports facilities, multiple stadiums, training camps, hotel complexes, and sports rehabilitation centres, all in addition to service facilities designed to international standards to host major tournaments.
Behind this vision is a clear bet on what has already been accomplished. According to Khalafallah, “modern road networks, completed facilities, artificial lakes, hotel areas, and transportation links are all elements that pave the way to launch projects of this magnitude.” For him, this vision cannot be separated from the existing infrastructure, which, he insists, “was not built to serve a single season, but to withstand the pressure of a permanent city.”
Those at the helm of New Alamein are also studying plans to establish a major entertainment city to promote family tourism. Officials are also considering developing new venues for medical tourism through building health centres that take advantage of the city’s natural environment.
According to Khalafallah, this type of tourism “is witnessing regional and international growth” and provides “a real opportunity to expand the tourist season”.
As these projects expand, New Alamein appears to be transforming into what its promoters hope to see. Yet, this transformation, as officials admit, depends on the city’s ability to attract permanent residents, support the productive and service sectors, and strike a balance between tourism, the knowledge economy, and light industry.
The landscape remains open to multiple possibilities. New Alamein is not looking for a single project that sums up its story, but rather a series of ideas that complement what has already been built, giving the city a reason to live beyond the height of summer. Here, feasibility is measured not only by the number of stadiums or hotel rooms, but by the ability of the place to become a destination for both living and working.
Enthusiasts like Khalafallah maintain that they are open to any proposal that could push the area further in that direction. They insist that the area’s location in the middle of the coast, the careful urban planning, and the infrastructure that is prepared to sustain a permanent city are all elements that are paving the road for New Alamein to become a regional and international hub for sports and tourism, turning it into a feasible reality rather than just a dream.
PROVIDING SERVICES: For that to happen, though, health services must be offered. After all, these are normally part and parcel of any city that decides to remain vibrant for its inhabitants throughout the year.
The Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Military Transportation (AASTMT) has thus stepped into the breach, providing a teaching hospital that does not just offer medical services but is also seen as an essential piece of the city’s fabric and a bridge connecting medical education and community service.
For Ismail Abdel-Ghaffar, president of the academy, the hospital is not only a place offering medical services. “It’s a space to build a healthy sustainable society, where science meets practice and experience with the daily needs of the city,” he said.
Health services are expanding to cover all parts of the city. The hospital spans an area of 30,000 square metres and is furnished with state-of-the-art medical equipment, a central gas network, a state-of-the-art laundry and a state-of-the-art sterilisation unit. Six dialysis machines provide their services free of charge, and the hospital accommodates an integrated system of 120 inpatient beds, seven intensive care beds, and four operating theatres. Ten well-equipped outpatient clinics covering all medical fields are also available.
But the city’s medical services do not stop at the hospital walls. Free medical convoys head to Matrouh governorate, Old Alamein, Dabaa, and Marsa Matrouh city, while ophthalmology campaigns and patient transfer stations from remote areas proliferate, making New Alamein a link between its residents and its geographical and social surroundings. It is clear that the city is not just a summer destination, but an integrated hub for daily services and all-year life.
Alongside health, education is writing another chapter in the story of the city. Again, the AASTMT in New Alamein stands as a symbol of this transformation, with its 62-acre buildings and nine faculties. Students from Egypt and 13 other countries can now be seen in the halls of these colleges, with their conversations, activities, and innovations giving the whole area a positive vibe.
This diversity reflects not just numbers, but also the city’s ability to attract a global student community, ensuring daily movement and activity and transforming New Alamein from a seasonal city to a living city all year round.
More interesting, perhaps, is the fact that education is not always limited to the classroom in New Alamein. The dental units of the academy, for example, receive about 400 patients a day, a figure that shows the volume of local demand and embodies the city’s ability to fulfil its role as an integrated service centre and far from being a mere entertainment destination.
Here, science meets humanity, and daily services become part of the city’s new identity, proving that New Alamein is not only a place to visit, but also a city to live in.
PROSPECTS: Back in the serene atmosphere of the golden sandy beach of New Alamein, we take a tour with President of the Council of Arab Archaeologists Mohamed Al-Kahlawi.
As we walk along the city’s streets, Al-Kahlawi waves his hands towards modern buildings and wide roads in a lamenting gesture. His main regret is that despite the huge investments, the city for the time being remains a summer resort par excellence. He insists that New Alamein is a coastal gem with infrastructure that deserves to remain alive throughout the year.
“The city needs a community where people live and work all year round,” Al-Kahlawi said, pointing to a café with a few visitors enjoying the quiet atmosphere before the high season begins.
He pauses to gaze at the horizon, where the desert stretches to meet the Siwa Oasis three-and-and-half hours from Alamein. He visualises a day trip on which tourists would start their journey on Alamein beach and end their day in the desert’s white sand after an enjoyable tour exploring the culture and history of the place.
“We need to diversify tourism activities,” Al-Kahlawi said. “Tourists need to enjoy a variety of activities related to culture, therapy, and recreation, not just beaches.”
Along the coast, Greek and Roman monuments dot the streets, gazing silently and majestically as if remembering a glorious past. Al-Kahlawi points out that these sites should be opened to the public rather than being hidden by tourist villages. He imagines a museum with archaeological treasures where visitors can be introduced to the city’s history alongside its beaches.
Passing by a recently paved highway, he points to the few cars as a testament to the fact that everyday life is still largely missing.
“The infrastructure is there, but no one will move to live in the city permanently unless they have a sense of belonging to the place,” Al-Kahlawi notes. “There is still a gap between the local people and the city, as is the case with Sharm Al-Sheikh and Hurghada in Sinai.”
“The high prices restrict enjoyment of these places to the few who can afford them,” he said, adding that “young people need a place to live in, not just a luxury tourist destination to visit.”
Even in the presence of modern hotel towers and villas, for some the vibe of city life remains absent. “Architecture alone doesn’t make life,” Al-Kahlawi said. He points to a new building that has remained empty despite its elegant façade as a case in point.
“Cities are about life and not just tall towers,” he notes. “Both New Alamein and the New Administrative Capital can be restricted to morning life, waking up at sunrise and falling asleep at sunset, with almost no social or night life,” he added.
He looks back at the beach as gentle waves wash over it. “This city can only be transformed into an all-year destination if we manage to diversify tourist activities,” he comments.
“Establishing a port that serves the coast from Alamein to Ras Al-Hekma and connecting the city to the nearby Cemetery would push the area towards that dream. Visitors would then be able to enjoy a full schedule of activities integrating the beach with cultural, historical, and recreational tours. Only then will the city buzz with life all year round.”
Ali Ghoneim, a member of the board of the Egyptian Federation of Chambers of Tourism and president of the Chamber of Tourism Commodities, nodded in approval. He was also gazing at the waves as they washed gently against the beach and sparkled in the sun.
“This city is full of potential and is a promising tourism model,” Ghoneim said, adding that “the beauty of its beaches could very well compete with those of Turkey and Tunisia.”
“The mild climate and the beauty of the sea allow the tourist season to extend for almost eight months a year,” Ghoneim added. “It’s not just a summer resort. It’s a fully-fledged city.”
“Visitors can have the two-fold advantage of relaxing on the beach and cultural sight-seeing as everything is readily available,” he noted. “The network of roads, ports, and airports makes movement very smooth and opens new horizons for tourism and trade. This is what makes the city attractive, especially for tourists from Northern Europe.”
He also referred to the number of conference halls and cultural centres in New Alamein, as well as modern high-rises offering an extra allure to an already charming place.
“The urbanism here not only gives the place a majestic look but also provides an opportunity to host multiple events throughout the year — conferences, cultural celebrations, exhibitions,” he maintained. “All these details make New Alamein not just a seasonal destination, but a city that can operate all year round and receive residents and visitors daily.”
Ghoneim is optimistic about the City’s future.
“New Alamein is a big project, but the future cannot be merely measured by the amount of investments,” Ghoneim told Al-Ahram Weekly. Like Al-Kahlawi, he insists that “what really matters is that all the projects are interconnected in a way that creates an all-year-round life cycle.”
* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 April, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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