integrated coastal city · Under development
Alam Al Roum Qatari Diar
East Marsa Matrouh, north-west coast
What is Alam Al Roum?
The Qatari Diar Alam Al Roum project is an integrated coastal city east of Marsa Matrouh across 20.58 million square metres (about 4,900 feddan), with 7.2 kilometres of Mediterranean shoreline, a declared investment of $29.7 billion and a master plan by the global practice SOM. Alam Al Roum is also written as Alam El Roum and Alam El-Roum within the Qatari Diar North Coast portfolio. Alam Al Roum Qatari Diar is the North Coast project also known as Alam El Roum. Compare the residential districts and the position of each home on the master plan before comparing a quoted price; a lagoon villa and a seafront apartment represent different locations and property types.
Where exactly is Alam Al Roum?
Alam Al Roum occupies a rare natural bay on the Mediterranean coast east of Marsa Matrouh. The airport lies roughly 6 kilometres away, a drive Qatari Diar's own site puts at 15 minutes, with the city itself a further 6 kilometres beyond that.
Location is what separates this project from the rest of the north coast: most Egyptian coastal cities are built along an open shoreline, while the Alam Al Roum master plan is organised around a natural bay, which is what allows a continuous 7.2-kilometre waterfront and calmer water suited to marinas and yachts.
Per distance figures circulating for the project in August 2026, Matrouh University is about 4 kilometres away, Samla railway station about 4 kilometres, Hashish port about 7 kilometres and the Ramliya area about 5 kilometres, while Ras El Hekma lies roughly 50 kilometres away. The official site notes the project sits within a two-to-five-hour flight radius of Europe and the GCC, a figure aimed at the tourism market rather than the domestic buyer.
What is the investment value of Alam Al Roum?
The declared total value of the Alam Al Roum deal is $29.7 billion, split into $3.5 billion for the land paid in cash and $26.2 billion of in-kind development investment. The first cash instalment of $3.5 billion was already paid to Egypt in December 2025.
The Egyptian counterparty is the New Urban Communities Authority, not the housing ministry directly, a distinction that matters to anyone following the file legally. The agreement was signed on 6 November, and under it the authority retains a 15% share of the project company's net profits.
This structure explains why two different numbers appear in press coverage: the cash figure that actually entered the Egyptian treasury is $3.5 billion, while the larger $29.7 billion represents the full value of the deal across the life of the development. Published estimates put job creation at up to 250,000 direct and indirect positions.
How much does a metre cost at Alam Al Roum, and what are the payment terms?
Qatari Diar had not published an official price list for Alam Al Roum as at the date of this page. Figures circulating on property marketing portals in August 2026 start at about EGP 88,000 per metre and from EGP 15,600,000 for a two-bedroom, 125 sqm chalet, with a 5% down payment over 8 or 10 years.
The absence of an official price list is not a marginal detail: it means every published figure for Alam Al Roum prices, on this page or anywhere else, is a circulating marketing number subject to change by release and availability, not a developer-approved price. We publish it because it is what actually exists, and we attribute it plainly.
Per the same portals on the same date, a twin chalet reaches EGP 24,150,000, a 144 sqm townhouse starts from EGP 24,300,000, lagoon first-row villas reach EGP 78,400,000, Sealine units in the rear rows start from EGP 48,000,000, and a single-storey six-bedroom villa of 601 sqm reaches EGP 227,000,000.
The payment structure is agreed across more than one source: a 5% down payment on the total unit value, with the balance over 8 or 10 years in equal instalments.
What unit types and sizes does Alam Al Roum offer?
The first release at Alam Al Roum covers two announced districts: Sandside Lagoons, with chalets from 80 to 125 sqm plus townhouses, twin houses and lagoon villas up to 331 sqm, and Sealine Estates, with coastal villas and mansions on tiered rows where the front-row villa reaches 601 sqm.
In Sandside Lagoons, chalets start at two bedrooms across 80 to 125 sqm, and the twin chalet comes with four bedrooms up to 161 sqm. Townhouses start from 144 sqm and reach 180 and 230 sqm, twin houses run from 240 to 280 sqm, and lagoon first-row villas reach 331 sqm.
In Sealine Estates, villas and mansions are arranged on tiered rows from the sixth row to the first, and the sea-front villa comes as a single storey with six bedrooms up to 601 sqm. The announced mix overall covers chalets, luxury apartments, townhouses, twin houses, standalone villas, hotel units and commercial units.
These sizes are published on marketing portals in August 2026 with no official release from the developer, so they read as evidence of the shape of the offering rather than a final unit schedule.
When does construction start at Alam Al Roum, and when is handover?
The first phase of Alam Al Roum begins in 2026 and runs over five years, covering roughly 20 to 25% of the total footprint, while full development takes about 15 years. Qatari Diar had announced no unit handover date as at the date of this page.
The share of the first phase is itself contested: one source states about 20% and another 20 to 25%, so the full range is shown here rather than picking one number.
The gap between "construction start" and "handover" matters to anyone comparing Alam Al Roum with other projects: the only officially announced dates are the 2026 start of phase one and its five-year build period. Any handover date published for a specific unit at Alam Al Roum does not rest on a developer announcement.
What amenities are announced at Alam Al Roum?
Announced amenities at Alam Al Roum include more than 4,500 hotel keys across five-star resorts, an international yacht marina and a private coastal port, sandy beaches exceeding 1.4 million square metres, 22 kilometres of sea-fed lagoons, and a built ratio capped at 60% of the total area.
The hotel capacity here is an official figure: more than 4,500 hotel keys. Many circulating write-ups confuse this with "4,500 residential units", which is a different thing entirely. No residential unit count has been announced for the project.
Three yacht marinas are announced: one international and two internal. Other published amenities include golf courses, a retail and leisure district with restaurants, cafés and brands, a cycling and walking promenade, a full service centre, graduated-depth swimming pools, sports clubs and gyms, business centres, and round-the-clock security with electronic gates.
Who prepared the Alam Al Roum master plan?
The Alam Al Roum master plan was prepared by the global practice SOM and formally unveiled in July 2026, within a team that includes SWA for landscape architecture, Marina Projects for marina design and operations, and Setec for transport and traffic engineering.
Having four specialist practices rather than one is what distinguishes this plan in practice: SOM handles urban planning and architecture, SWA handles landscape, which governs a project where a majority of the ground is not buildings, Marina Projects specialises in marinas, which is why the international marina is part of the planning rather than a later addition, and Setec handles movement inside a city of this size.
Taleb Al-Athba, the company's Chief Development and Project Delivery Officer, described the plan as a "fully integrated smart city", while Thomas Hussey, a Principal at SOM, said the ambition is to create "a sustainable, resilient coastal destination". Announced elements include sustainable energy solutions and the use of locally sourced materials.
The official description calls the project a year-round integrated coastal destination rather than a seasonal one, a substantive distinction in a north-coast market where most projects operate three months a year.
Who is developing Alam Al Roum, and how large are they?
Alam Al Roum is developed by Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company, the real-estate arm of the Qatar Investment Authority, founded in 2005 with shared capital of $8.1 billion and combined investments and assets under management of around $35 billion.
In Egypt specifically, the company's investment portfolio is worth about $7 billion per the July 2026 announcement. This is the origin of the "seven billion" figure that is sometimes misattributed to Alam Al Roum as an initial investment, when it is the value of the entire Egyptian portfolio rather than of this project.
Alam Al Roum expands the company's land holdings in Egypt to more than 40 million square metres, which chief executive Sheikh Hamad bin Talal Al Thani described as "a historic milestone". The number of countries the company operates in varies by source and date: 22 per the July 2026 announcement, 20 per its Egypt site using 2023 data, and 18 per its global corporate site.
Its record in Egypt already includes one completed asset, The St. Regis Cairo hotel and residences, and NEWGIZA with phases one to three complete. Those two are the only references for measuring the company on delivery rather than announcement.
What is the impact of Alam Al Roum on Matrouh and the Egyptian economy?
Alam Al Roum represents the largest announced investment injection into Matrouh governorate: $3.5 billion entered the Egyptian treasury in cash in December 2025 for the land, with estimates of up to 250,000 direct and indirect jobs, plus a 15% share of the project company's net profits going to the New Urban Communities Authority.
That structure puts the state's return on two tracks rather than one: a settled cash sum already received, and a continuing profit share across the life of the project. It also explains the sustained government follow-up. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly held a meeting on the project's progress in August 2026, and the housing minister inspected the site in July 2026.
On the ground, land handover has begun in stages: press sources reported the first 400 feddan being handed to the Qatari company in March 2026 after encroachments were cleared and occupants compensated. This comes from a single press source and carries no official developer release.
The longer-term impact is tied to turning the Matrouh stretch from a seasonal destination into one that works year-round, which is what the announced hotel capacity of more than 4,500 keys across five-star resorts depends on.
What has not yet been announced about Alam Al Roum?
Four things about Alam Al Roum had not been announced as at the date of this page: an official price list, any unit handover date, the number of residential units, and the names of construction phases beyond the first. Anything published on those four points does not rest on a developer announcement.
These are not secondary details; they are precisely the four questions a buyer asks. Stating them plainly is more useful than filling the gap with unsourced circulating figures:
- Prices: the published figures, from EGP 88,000 per metre and from EGP 15,600,000 for a chalet, are marketing-portal numbers from August 2026, subject to change by release and availability.
- Handover: what is officially announced is the 2026 start of phase one and its five-year build period, nothing more. Any handover date for a specific unit is unsupported.
- Unit count: not announced. The available official figure is hotel capacity, more than 4,500 keys, and much of what is published confuses the two.
- Share of phase one: one source says about 20% of the total area, another 20 to 25%.
Even the 60% figure needs care: one source states the residential component accounts for 60% of the project area, another that the built ratio does not exceed 60%. Those are different claims and should not be merged.
What does the master plan for Alam Al Roum show?
The Alam Al Roum master plan is a full aerial view of the coastal city showing how districts, lagoons, the shoreline and the marina sit inside the natural bay. It was prepared by SOM and is published here at a resolution that lets you enlarge it and read its detail.
What does Alam Al Roum look like?
The published images of Alam Al Roum combine genuine aerial photography of the bay before development with architectural views of the marina and waterfront. They are currently the only visual evidence available, because construction has not started and there are no standing buildings to view.
How do you book a unit at Alam Al Roum?
To book a unit at Alam Al Roum, contact the sales hotline on +20 101 833 6004 for the units genuinely available today and their current prices, then a viewing is scheduled and the down payment is made under the plan approved for that phase.
- Confirm availability and the current price of the unit you want
- Book a site or show-unit viewing
- Review the full payment plan including maintenance and the delivery payment
- Sign the reservation form and pay the down payment
Request prices and availability
Frequently asked questions about Alam Al Roum
What is the truth about the $7 billion figure?
The $7 billion figure does not relate to Alam Al Roum. It is the value of Qatari Diar's entire investment portfolio in Egypt per the July 2026 announcement. The project itself carries a declared value of $29.7 billion, of which $3.5 billion was paid in cash for the land.
Has construction at Alam Al Roum actually started?
What is officially announced is that the first phase of Alam Al Roum begins in 2026 and runs over five years. Press sources reported the first 400 feddan being handed to the company in March 2026 after encroachments were cleared, a detail from a single press source rather than an official release.
Is Alam Al Roum a seasonal destination?
The official announcement describes Alam Al Roum as a year-round integrated coastal destination rather than a seasonal one, resting on hotel capacity of more than 4,500 keys, an international marina, and retail and leisure components that operate outside the summer season.
Which firms are working on the Alam Al Roum design?
The Alam Al Roum design team comprises four practices: SOM for the master plan and urban architecture, SWA for landscape architecture, Marina Projects for marina design and operations, and Setec for transport and traffic engineering, per the official July 2026 announcement.
Who is developing Alam Al Roum?
Alam Al Roum is developed by Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company, the real-estate arm of the Qatar Investment Authority, in partnership with Egypt's New Urban Communities Authority, which retains a 15% share of the project company's net profits.
Is Alam Al Roum on the north coast or in Marsa Matrouh?
Alam Al Roum lies east of the city of Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean, inside the western stretch of what is called the north coast. Both descriptions are accurate: Qatari Diar's own site files it under the north coast, and its more precise geographic address is east of Marsa Matrouh.
Who designed the Alam Al Roum master plan?
The master plan and urban architecture of Alam Al Roum were prepared by SOM, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, one of the largest urban planning practices in the world. This is officially confirmed and reported in press coverage of the project.
Are there official published prices for Alam Al Roum?
No. Qatari Diar had issued no official price list for Alam Al Roum as at the date of this page. Circulating figures start at about EGP 88,000 per metre and from EGP 15,600,000 for a chalet, which are marketing-portal numbers from August 2026, subject to change by release and availability.
How many units does Alam Al Roum have?
No residential unit count has been announced for Alam Al Roum. The available official figure is hotel capacity: more than 4,500 keys. Much of what is published confuses the two, and they are different figures.
Other Qatari Diar projects in Egypt
Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company lists four projects in Egypt: Alam Al Roum, City Gate, NEWGIZA and The St. Regis Cairo, with City Gate containing four announced phases.
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The prices on this page are tied to the date they were read, and availability changes with every release. Call to find out which units are genuinely available today and the next viewing slot.