Marriott International, the world’s largest hotel chain, is making a major bet on North Africa’s fast-growing tourism market, signing an agreement to develop nine hotels and resorts with more than 1,800 rooms across Egypt as it backs the country’s push to attract more international visitors and private investment.

The agreement, signed at the government headquarters in New Alamein City, covers projects in key coastal spots and urban hubs. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly attended the ceremony alongside Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy and Housing Minister Randa El-Menshawy.

The expansion comes as Cairo moves to boost hotel capacity, encouraging foreign companies to build in new cities where recent road and utility projects have opened up fresh real estate.

“The agreement represents another step in Egypt’s strategy to attract tourism investment and expand hotel capacity as visitor demand continues to increase,” Madbouly said during the signing with local developers Misr Italia Properties and People & Places Developments.

Infrastructure drive fuels growth

Beyond adding rooms, the nine developments—which include five mixed-use sites featuring branded residences—are projected to create roughly 6,000 direct and indirect jobs across several governorates.

Once fully operational, the sites expect to host about 373,000 tourists each year, according to figures released by the developers. Misr Italia Properties noted its total investment commitment in the country now tops 56.7 billion Egyptian pounds (about $1.1 billion).

El-Menshawy said the government is focusing on tourism projects in newly developed urban areas, where heavy spending on roads and power grids over recent years is starting to pay off.

“The country’s modern road networks, utilities, and public infrastructure provide a strong foundation for additional domestic and international investment,” El-Menshawy said, adding that the Housing Ministry is offering fresh land parcels tailored for hotel and entertainment projects.

Long-term bet on North Africa

For Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott, the deal strengthens its footprint in one of North Africa’s most visited destinations. The company currently operates or franchises roughly 9,000 properties across 141 countries.

Shady Hassan, Marriott’s vice president of hotel development for North Africa, called Egypt a key market driven by steady traveler demand and strong interest in luxury residences.

Mohamed Khaled El-Assal, chief executive of Misr Italia Properties and co-founder of People & Places Developments, said hospitality has become a core element of the firm’s real estate strategy as the country positions itself to handle larger traveler volumes.

Karim Khaled El-Assal, co-founder of People & Places, added that bringing in international brands helps ensure higher occupancy and better service quality across both coastal resorts and commercial hubs. The signing was handled by Hassan alongside both Mohamed Khaled El-Assal and Karim Khaled El-Assal, with senior state housing officials also present.