Disclosure: this article draws on a press release and site-visit materials issued by developer Qatari Diar Egypt, along with reporting by Dezeen.
Water will run through the streets of a new Egyptian coastal city. Architecture studio SOM has unveiled the alam al roum masterplan, a development of about 20 square kilometres near Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean coast.
The plan’s defining feature is 22 kilometres of lagoons. Part of the network is swimmable, and the rest is connected to seawater. The lagoons will wind through the built area and help manage stormwater.
Water bodies look striking from orbit too, as seen in ESA Satellites Reveal Venice and Laguna Colorada, which compares how different lagoons appear from space.
Sources differ slightly on the site’s size. Dezeen reports 20.6 square kilometres, while the developer’s press release gives 20.5 million square metres, or 4,900 acres. Either way, the site has 7.2 kilometres of private beachfront.
The site lies about 20 minutes from Marsa Matrouh and 50 minutes from Ras El Hekma. Qatari Diar puts the total investment at USD 29.7 billion, including USD 3.5 billion in direct cash investment.
Inside the alam al roum masterplan
Designing for the coast
SOM built the scheme around the landscape and climate of Egypt’s North Coast. Buildings and public spaces in this egypt coastal city are oriented to catch coastal breezes and sunlight.
“Our master plan for Alam Al Roum presents a new vision for waterfront living on Egypt’s North Coast, shaped by the Mediterranean climate, landscape, and cultural character of its setting,” said Thomas Hussey, principal of SOM’s City Design Practice.
Planners will lift the development to cope with shifting coastal conditions. Along the shoreline, the scheme leans on nature-based defences, including riparian buffers, stormwater wetlands, stabilised dunes and living shorelines.
Neighbourhoods, boulevards and a cultural waterfront
It will include beachfront and lagoon-side neighbourhoods, town centres, hospitality and resort zones, golf facilities, an education district and a business hub. A grand boulevard will link an international marina on the Mediterranean with a mobility hub further inland.
The waterfront downtown is designed to draw visitors all year. It will include a cultural pier, a lighthouse, an amphitheatre, a yacht club, a mosque and markets.
The consortium also includes SWA, a landscape architecture specialist, Marina Projects, which works on marina design and operations, and Setec, a transport and traffic engineering consultancy. The sources list these firms as partners but do not detail how work is divided among them.
Timeline and the developer’s ambitions
The first phase is expected to start in 2030. It covers four square kilometres, with a beachfront stretch, lagoons open to the sea and a marina in the town centre.
For another look at planning large-scale urban growth in the region, read DLR Group’s Human-Centred Middle Eastern Urban Landscapes, which examines how megaprojects can serve the people who live in them.
Hamad bin Talal Al-Thani, chief executive of Qatari Diar, described the project as a new kind of Mediterranean destination. “Alam Al Roum represents our vision for a new generation of Mediterranean destinations,” he said, “one that goes beyond the traditional seasonal resort.”
Qatari Diar was established in 2005 by the Qatar Investment Authority and is headquartered in Doha. The company says it holds more than 40 million square metres of land in Egypt and an Egyptian investment portfolio worth USD 7 billion. The project is its latest addition, following CityGate, NEWGIZA and The St. Regis Cairo.
Taleb Al-Athba, the company’s chief development and project delivery officer for Asia and Africa, described the scheme as a smart city. He said the city masterplan will include an international yacht marina, luxury hotels, energy solutions and locally sourced materials.
Phase one of the alam al roum masterplan, due to begin in 2030, will show whether the lagoons and the coastal defences can work as designed across a city of this scale.
Source: dezeen.com
Frequently asked questions
What is the Alam Al Roum masterplan in Egypt?
Alam Al Roum is a masterplan by architecture studio SOM for a development of about 20 square kilometres near Marsa Matrouh on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. Its defining feature is 22 kilometres of lagoons, part of which is swimmable while the rest connects to seawater. The lagoons also help manage stormwater.
When will the first phase of Alam Al Roum begin?
The first phase of the Alam Al Roum masterplan is expected to start in 2030. It covers four square kilometres and includes a beachfront stretch, lagoons open to the sea, and a marina in the town centre.
How much is the total investment in Alam Al Roum?
Qatari Diar puts the total investment in the Alam Al Roum project at USD 29.7 billion. That figure includes USD 3.5 billion in direct cash investment.
Who is developing the Alam Al Roum project in Egypt?
The Alam Al Roum project is being developed by Qatari Diar, a company established in 2005 by the Qatar Investment Authority and headquartered in Doha. The project is the company’s latest addition to its Egyptian portfolio.
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