Egypt has inaugurated the Hyatt Centric Cairo West, the country's and Africa's first art-themed hotel, as part of efforts to boost investment in tourism and hospitality, the Egyptian Cabinet said in a statement on Wednesday. The launch also marked the unveiling of Hyatt Centric Cairo West Residences, a residential project linked to the hotel — the first time in Egypt where a hotel has preceded its associated residential component. The project is the result of a partnership between Egypt's ADD Properties, a member of Sami Saad Holding Group, and US-based Hyatt Hotels Corp (H.N), as the government seeks to expand hotel infrastructure through sustainable real estate developments that support economic growth. "Today marks a successful example of cooperation between Egypt's domestic and international sectors," Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy said during the launch ceremony on Tuesday evening. "We look forward to more hotel investments that will meaningfully strengthen Egypt's tourism infrastructure," he added. The minister further said Egypt aims to double its hotel room capacity in five years to meet rising demand, citing a 26 per cent jump in tourist arrivals from January to May 2025 versus the same period last year. He highlighted the need to strengthen the tourism workforce through new training initiatives and announced the upcoming launch of an online Learning Management System in collaboration with the Egyptian Tourism Federation. Minister Fathy reaffirmed Egypt's goal of attracting 30 million tourists annually and called for expanded hotel, airport, and airline capacity. Hyatt's EMEA president Javier Águila said west Cairo was selected for the new hotel given its proximity to the Grand Egyptian Museum and Giza Pyramids. He added that more Hyatt projects are planned in Egypt. The 304-room hotel features contemporary Egyptian art curated by Add Art, with works from 11 local artists celebrating Cairo's heritage and culture. Hyatt, which exited Egypt for a decade, returned in 2022 with Hyatt Regency Cairo West, developed by ADD, which features 250 rooms and has won several international awards. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: Y.Yasser
