Good city building and management is critical to counter Egypt’s urban sprawl and replace poor planning with a vision of sustainable design that allows for improved livelihoods for Egyptians and a desirable environment for investment. Dubai’s proactive planning and investor-friendly climate contains lessons for Egypt’s future cities and investment corridors in Suez, South Red Sea, Sinai, the Mediterranean, Cairo satellite cities, and future capital considerations.

Over two weeks, OHK conducted a study tour examining the rise of Dubai as a city as well as the cultural and political forces that have shaped its urban development and economic growth. The tour presented ministerial and high-ranking leadership in the Egyptian government with the complex organizational setup mediating among developers, municipal actors, and the private, aiming to decode the puzzle of this booming metropolis and lessons learnt for Egypt. The tour was a combination of meetings with Dubai and Abu Dhabi officials, visits with leading developers, government organizations involved in city management, and investment vehicles and the decision-making process shared amongst them.