Egypt's El Gouna inspires Oman's newest communities

The El Gouna development on Egypt's Red Sea coast is serving as the blueprint for Muriya's plan to build integrated, multi-faceted and self-sufficient communities within the Sultanate.

The flagship project of Muriya's majority shareholder 'Orascom', El Gouna is a fully fledged beachside community; combining both a residential and tourism destination, whilst offering a variety of hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and an 18-hole USPGA golf course.

With a population of more than 10,000 people, the 37.8 million square meters community is a prime example of OHD's careful planning and environmentally friendly ethics. El Gouna's sprawling 10-kilometere beachfront is made up of a number of islands surrounded by stunning lagoons.

As with any town, El Gouna is targeted at a broad range of income levels offering living accommodation and facilities of varying sizes, designs and price points.

The community spirit is hugely prevalent throughout the neighborhood of villas and apartments and community events such as street festivals, parties, sports functions and live music concerts are a regular occurrence at El Gouna.

With a wide cross section of world travelers either making it their home or a vacation retreat, El Gouna provides a full range of facilities and services, such a Mosque and Church, transportation, schools, healthcare and security, giving the community a feeling of comfort and convenience. Other services such as discounts and privileges can also be enjoyed by residents around the town, helping to maintain the unique community spirit associated with El Gouna.

Education and childcare services are a crucial element of the El Gouna experience with a range pre, primary and secondary education services on offer. In addition; El Gouna is home to the John D. Gerhart Field Station of the American University in Cairo. This state of the art facility provides a range of courses for those wishing to continue their education beyond secondary level.

El Gouna's healthcare facilities are also second to none. With a fully fledged hospital facility; El Gouna residents have access to the latest medical services with specialized departments for dentistry, plastic surgery, pediatrics, ophthalmology, general surgery and ICU. El Gouna's Hyperbaric medical center in the hospital also boasts the largest decompression chamber in the Middle East.

El Gouna's overall uniqueness is in its harmony - a result of careful planning, superb architecture and competent management. Muriya now plans to bring El Gouna's harmony to its two newest projects in Oman.

Eng. Cyril Piaia, Chief Executive Officer of Muriya said, "The El Gouna community proves how successful a multi-faceted community can be, and as Muriya's majority shareholder, Orascom is in a perfect position to use it's vast experience and knowledge to create this kind of unified setting in the Sultanate."

With the support of its other major partner, Oman tourism development company, Omran, Muriya made a pledge to "Master Develop Virgin Lands".

The combined land bank of over 21 million square meters will provide a vast array of facilities including real estate development, hotels, marinas, golf courses and more. Salalah Beach and Jebel Sifah will offer a diverse range of products including commercial, tourism and high-end luxury real estate, which will provide diversity in architectural style whilst fully integrating within the Omani culture and adhering to local tastes and traditions.

As the single largest tourism development company in Oman, Muriya has other ambitious projects in various stunning locations across Oman, including a City Complex in Muscat and Al Sodah Island with a total investment of over $850 million.