Taking advantage of Egypt's recuperating tourism industry, InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a deal to develop the Crowne Plaza Cairo Sheikh Zayed City, the first in Egypt's capital city. The 187-guestroom new build hotel, which is slated for a 2021-opening, will be developed in partnership with Al Badr For Investments Commercial.

The Crowne Plaza Cairo Shiekh Zayed City will be part of the second phase of the mixed-use development Arkan Plaza in the center of Sheikh Zayed city on the 26th of July corridor main spine. The development is also close to New Cairo Museum, the Great Pyramids of Giza, Cairo International Airport and the Sphinx International Airport. Set to begin operating in summer 2018, the new EGP 300-million airport, which is being constructed by the Egyptian Consultancy Company, is expected to reduce pressure on Cairo International Airport, accommodate 300 passengers per hour and expand cargo services. To follow up this project, the country will also add another airport, Katameya International Airport, to receive visitors traveling to New Cairo and the new administrative capital, which is also currently under construction. 

HIG already has 2,169 guestrooms in Cairo under the InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites brands. This new hotel project aligns with IHG’s strategy to expand the Crowne Plaza brand across the MENA by strengthening its foothold in the region's top-tier CBDs and primary markets. “The total number of Crowne Plaza hotels in MENA is set to grow over the next three to five years with eight Crowne Plaza hotels in our development pipeline," Rajit Sukumaran, CDO, Asia, Middle East and Africa at IHG, said in a statement.